Puri: As many as 25 tourists from Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh, on a pilgrimage to Puri, lost all their valuables in one go. All that in front of their own eyes, as the bus they had come caught fire at a parking area in the vicinity of Sakhigopal temple in Satyabadi.
With the almighty’s grace, there was no soul on board when the vehicle caught flames and within a few minutes turned into a fireball. Given the intensity of the blaze, fire service personnel’s efforts could do little to save the belongings of the tourists.
The damages ran into several lakh rupees, as clothes, ornaments, food, cash home keys and several other valuables, were perished in the fire. Local police, fire service, political leaders, and social service groups showed up at the spot, empathised with the pilgrims and extended support.
It was a heart-wrenching scene to see the victims of the incident, scouting for their belongings from the ill-fated vehicle after the blaze was doused. However, hardly any one of the group were fortunate to salvage their valuables.
