A massive fire accident in one of the last villages of Arunachal Pradesh has reduced 57 houses to ashes and an elderly woman is charred to death on 22 December 2016.

At 11 am on 22 December the beautiful Wakka village standing on a mountain top that separates India from Myanmar was in flames bringing down 57 houses in a matter minutes. No one had any chance of chance of saving anything. One 70 year old woman, identified as Bangman Gangsa, who could not get out of the fire, was charred to death.

What a way to celebrate Christmas, said Nepha Wangsa, a student leader from Wakka village, recounting the horror of the fire accident. A church building, a Chevrolet car and bike are among the many things that was reduced to ashes, including food grains and livestock.

Nearly thousand people have been rendered homeless and are left out in the chilling cold.

One Gangsa narrated that all the male members of the village were clearing the roads as ordered by the 16^th Assam Riffles of Wakka Headquarters. “We could have managed to save many houses and the life if we were not at the roads”, he lamented. “We have a local custom of assigning some male members to keep watch and to look out for such incident. Unfortunately we were all out at work today”, he added.

Matpho Kolong ZPM of Wakka Block, taking stock of the situation has appealed to all the neighbouring villages to lend a helping hand to the victims of this tragic fire accident.

It is the second fire accident in this village with most of the houses made of bamboo with thatched roof, in less than a year. One tiny spark could create a massive damage as the houses here are too close to one another.

Local students union’s General Secretary Gangsong Gangsa has appealed to all the general public, business people, NGOs to extend whatever help possible in this time of great pain to bring a smile on the faces of these poor tribals during this festive season.

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