28 houses gutted in Chimbel

panaji: 28 houses were gutted and three huts and a school were partially damaged after a hut caught fire due to flames from an open chullah at indira nagar, chimbel on diwali. property worth rs 9 lakh was said to be damaged and several persons are said to have sustained minor injuries. in another incident an autorickshaw carrying a narkasur effigy caught fire after coming in contact with overhead live electrical wires.the timely intervention of the vasco fire station saved property worth rs 2 lakh, says a press note. a major fire partially destroyed a saw mill at malim, betim causing a loss of rs 1,00,000. it took 3 hours for 20 personnel and 5 water tenders to extinguish the fire. the incident occurred on diwali.