Elderly couple killed in early morning fire in Ungma village

Morung Express News
Mokokchung | September 5  

An octogenarian couple died and two houses burnt to ashes when flames engulfed them early Tuesday morning. The fire was reported to have broken out shortly after 3:00 am at Imsonger Mepu, Ungma Village in Mokokchung district. Members of the village reported that the deceased, Nungshiremba (99) and Chubanungla (92), were found burnt together, holding each other, inside their house. The owner of the neighbouring house, Alemwati and his family, escaped unhurt. The village members stated that they called the fire department at 4:10 am, and the latter reached the fire site at 4:30 am, but the homes were fully engulfed in flames by then. While the fire department’s official investigation and report on the matter is awaited, locals suspect the cause of the blaze to be an electric short circuit. Nagaland Department of Information & Public Relations (DIPR), however, reported that the fire might have spread from the hearth of a kitchen. DIPR also reported that Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Public Relations, Imtikumzuk, along with his wife, ADC Mokokchung, Sachin Jaiswal, and Assistant Commissioner, Ajit Kumar Verma, visited the site. While offering condolences to bereaved family members, they also offered immediate relief to help the victims meet immediate needs.