20 houses in slum gutted, 2 kids rescued

CUTTACK: Nearly 20 dwellings were destroyed in a fire that broke out in Kathjodi Vihar, a slum pocket that has come up along the Kathjodi embankment near CDA Sector 7, on Tuesday. No loss of life has been reported. Two toddlers had a miraculous escape as they were rescued by an alert woman before the fire could envelope them. They were reportedly trapped in a circle of fire when the woman managed to rescue them. According to reports, the fire originated from a hearth used for cooking outside a makeshift shanty and spread rapidly to other houses in the vicinity. The woman of the house had allegedly left the hearth burning with her two children playing around nearby. When the fire spread, the children aged about two and less than a year respectively were, however, rescued without any harm. Fire services personnel rushed to the spot immediately but could not save a major chunk of the slum from being destroyed. About 14 families have been rendered homeless. The slum was mainly inhabited by Bengali population who were engaged in street vending, labour and other minor jobs.