A massive fire broke out on the upper floor of the Old London House, built in 1863, located at Mohan Chowk in Mallital, Nainital city, late on Wednesday night. Historian Prof. Ajay Rawat’s sister Shanta Bisht (86), who was living with her son Nikhil in the building, died in the fire. Her body was recovered after the fire was extinguished.
Local people reached the spot as soon as they got the news of the fire at 9:54 pm on Wednesday. They rescued some people trapped inside the building and informed the police. Police, SDRF and fire department teams reached the spot. Seeing the fire getting fierce, the police also evacuated the nearby shops and houses as a precaution. Along with this, the electricity supply was also cut off. The fire created panic in the area. The fire was brought under control after two and a half hours at 12:30 pm. Meanwhile, IG Riddhim Agarwal, SSP PN Meena, ADM Shailesh Negi, SDM Nawazish Khaliq and many other officials reached the spot. The cause of the fire is not known.
The fire brigade has brought the fire under control. The team has recovered the body of a woman from inside the house. Other damages are also being assessed
