Fire guts house at Varca, family safe

MARGAO: The owner of a house that was gutted in a fire on Friday night at Varca, says his family has lost everything, including the gold and money saved for his daughter's soon-to-be wedding.
The family has estimated the losses suffered as between ` 8 and ` 10 lakh.
"If not for my brother, my family would have died in the fire," Ensibio Alfonso told TOI on Saturday.
Alfonso said the family was fast asleep when the fire broke out around midnight, and it was his brother, who lives in the neighbourhood, who alerted the family.
"I could only save a gas cylinder and my driving license. We have lost everything except what we were wearing," said Alfonso.
He cried, "My daughter's marriage was finalized. Gold ornaments were purchased and were kept in the house and so was the money I had saved for the expenses. Now, nothing is left."
Fire officials said, "We received a call that a fire had broken out in Fatrade, Varca, at 12.05am. It took two hours for the two fire tenders to extinguish the fire, but by then everything in the thatched-roof house was gutted." The house lies in the property of Orlim church.
Officials added that they are in the process of evaluating the losses suffered, and that the owners of the house have estimated the loss at between ` 8 and ` 10 lakh.