4 innocent girls lost their lives in the fierce fire that took place near Gate Bazar Tuni. Angered by the government machinery and the inadequate arrangements for disaster management at the tehsil level, former Leader of Opposition and Chakrata MLA Pritam Singh along with hundreds of people from the area sat on a dharna on the road at Tiraya in Gate Bazar Tuni on the Tyuni-Chakrata Highway.
On the other hand, District Magistrate Sonika and DIG and Senior Superintendent of Police Dilip Kunwar reached the protest site to hold talks with former leader of the opposition and Chakrata MLA Pritam Singh, who was sitting on a dharna along with the people of the area who were agitated over the horrific fire incident.
The DIG and DM pacified the MLA and the angry villagers by somehow convincing them. The district administration talked about taking action against the guilty officers and police personnel who were negligent in the matter and assured proper compensation to the victim’s family and got the jam opened.
Allegations of negligence and indifference:
Angry villagers protested and shouted slogans accusing the police-administration of being negligent and apathetic at the time of the disaster. Angry villagers alleged that the fire brigade vehicle reached the spot without preparation after a long time after the information about the fire in the house. The policemen posted in the fire brigade were in an inebriated condition and the fire brigade vehicle had less water.
Had the personnel of the fire brigade been in proper condition and the police-administration would have been ready, then water could have been drawn from the Tons river at a distance of 80 meters from the spot by motor to extinguish the fire. In the remote areas of the mountain, 4 innocent girls died painfully by burning alive due to non-availability of adequate resources and staff to deal with emergency situations.
The police station, instead of getting medical help, rescued the fire brigade personnel who arrived after a long time of information in a state of intoxication. The protesters blocked the highway and demanded action against negligent firefighters and policemen, proper compensation to the victim’s family, strengthening of disaster management at the tehsil level and medical facilities at the Government Hospital Tuni. The protesters include Chakrata’s block chief Nidhi Rana and many public representatives of the area.
