Fire: A two-storey traditional house in Thomji village in Shegana gewog, Punakha has been razed to the ground when a fire struck around 2:30pm on December 30.

Shengana gup Samten Phuntsho said the house was locked and there was no one around when the fire occurred. “The cause of fire is not known,” he said.

The house owner, who lives alone in the house have left for pilgrimage in Bodhgaya, India. A neighbor, an old man was asked to look after the house. However, when the fire occurred, the neighbour was out with his cows.

When the old man returned home, he saw smoke coming out of the house. The fire is suspected to have started from top floor.

“We were in a meeting at the dzongkhag when villagers called to inform me of the fire,” the gup said.

By the time gewog along with dzongkhag and police reached the village, the house was completely destroyed. The team managed to take out a steel box that had more than Nu 30,000 that was burnt. The money has been handed over to a relative.

The dzongkhag also handed over His Majesty’s semso of Nu 10,000 and emergency kits.

Dawa Gyelmo