2 burnt alive, 8 houses gutted in HP fire incidents

Two persons were burnt alive and eight houses gutted in two fire incidents in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, police said.

In Solan district, two persons were burnt alive as an oil tanker caught fire after falling into a deep gorge near a bridge in Nalagarh area after midnight, Superintendent of Police (SP) Rohit Malpani said.

The tanker fell into the gorge after it hit and broke through the railing. A case has been registered and an investigation is on, the SP added.

In Shimla district, eight houses and a community centre were gutted at Koti village in Kotkhai area, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Pramod Shukla said.

The cause of fire broke that out at around 2.30 am is being ascertained. Property worth Rs 2 crore was gutted and a cow was also burnt alive, the DSP said.

The affected families have been provided financial help and other essential commodities as per norms by the district administration.