MITHI: A massive fire des­tro­­­yed over 500 mud-thatched hou­ses and killed more than 200 livestock in Vakrio village, 30 kilometres from Islamkot, on Wednesday.

The fire, whose cause could not be ascertained immediately, broke out suddenly and engulfed the entire village within minutes, giving little time to villagers to rescue their cattle or salvage other valuables.

The villagers told journalists that the fire killed over 200 goats and sheep, three cows, dozens of peacocks and other birds and destroyed all valuables including gold ornaments, stocked grain, cash etc. At least seven villagers suffered burns while trying to extinguish the fire, they said.

Noted writer Prof Noor Ahmed Janjhi, who also lives in the ill-fated village, told Dawn that it was the worst fire incident in the history of Thar in which almost half the village had been reduced to ashes, forcing people to take shelter on sand dunes under open sky.

He said the destroyed houses were owned by people belonging to Janjhi, Bheel, Hajam, Meghwar, Chanhia and other communities.

Prof Jhanji appealed to high-ups of the Sindh government, NGOs and philanthropists to help rehabilitate the fire victims. The villagers had sustained losses running into millions of rupees, he said.

PPP MNA Faqir Sher Moh­am­mad Bilalani, Shusheel Mal­ani and others reached the village and assured the victims that they would talk to the party leadership to pay compensation to the affected villagers.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2017