Mayabunder (North Andaman): A family already battling mounting medical expenses in Port Blair was left homeless and virtually destitute after a midnight fire completely gutted its house at Rest Camp village under Pahalgaon Gram Panchayat in Mayabunder tehsil.
The blaze broke out around midnight when the house, which had remained locked for the past four to five months, suddenly went up in flames. The family had been staying in Port Blair for the treatment of the ailing mother, who, along with the father, is currently admitted at G.B. Pant Hospital.
Ironically, a family member had returned to the village only two days earlier to check on the property. He was staying at a neighbour’s house when the inferno erupted.
Residents who noticed the flames around 12 midnight immediately raised the alarm and alerted the police and fire service. Fire personnel and police reached the spot and launched efforts to contain the blaze, but the fire had already engulfed the house, leaving little scope for salvage.
The family lost virtually everything in the inferno—including household belongings, food stocks and essential personal documents. The smouldering remains of the house were still visible hours later when local administrative officials visited the site.
Teams from the Mayabunder Tehsil Revenue Department and Disaster Management authorities inspected the spot the following morning and initiated an assessment of the damage.
The tragedy has compounded the family’s existing financial distress. According to local residents, the family has no independent means of livelihood and has already been stretched by the expenses arising from the parents’ treatment in Port Blair. With the family now without a roof over its head and its basic belongings destroyed, an urgent appeal has been made to the Member of Parliament, Deputy Commissioner, North & Middle Andaman, and concerned administrative authorities to extend immediate humanitarian assistance.
The relief sought includes temporary shelter, food and essential supplies, ex-gratia assistance under applicable disaster-relief provisions and help in obtaining replacement identity and other vital documents destroyed in the fire.nFor the family, the immediate challenge is no longer merely rebuilding a house—it is finding a roof, food and basic support while their parents continue to remain under treatment in Port Blair.
