Goa: houseboat gutted in fire, all on board rescued

A houseboat under renovation, anchored in the Chapora river near here, caught fire on Friday morning but all those who were on board were rescued, an official said.

The blaze, which started at around 11 am, burnt down the anchor rope, causing the boat to drift down the river near Siolim village, Pernem Fire Officer Namdev Pawar said.

"We had to reach the houseboat in mid-river using another vessel. A floating pump was deployed to bring the blaze under control," he said.

"Prime facie it looks like the fire might have started due to a short circuit," the official said.

"We managed to evacuate the workers who were engaged in renovation work on the boat. The operation took over two-and-half hours," Pawar said.

Fire personnel from Mapusa Station were also called in, and the fire-fighting was carried out from both sides of the boat as the flames had spread, he said.

The houseboat, named 'Bar Ca de Festa', was completely gutted, and the owner put the damage at around Rs 50 lakh, the official said.