A devastating fire claimed the life of a four-year-old child in Keylong, in Lahaul-Spiti, on Tuesday evening. The incident occurred around 6:40 PM in a two-storey wooden house near the regional hospital.
The child, the son of Bhim Bahadur, a Nepali-origin laborer, was asleep inside the house when the fire broke out. Both parents were away at work at the time. Tragically, a gas cylinder explosion amid the flames intensified the fire, causing the house to collapse entirely.
Emergency teams, including the fire brigade, police, home guards, and local residents, rushed to the scene. It took more than 90 minutes to bring the blaze under control, but by then, the wooden structure had been reduced to ashes.
Tehsildar Keylong Ramesh Kumar said that the building consisted of four rooms and was rented by the Bahadur family. The fire caused an estimated loss of over ₹10 lakh. Lahaul-Spiti MLA Anuradha Rana visited the site and extended condolences to the bereaved family.
