A three-year-boy died in a fire that razed a two-storied traditional house in Tandingang village of Tang, Bumthang on December 5.

According to a source, the fire started between 3:40pm and 3:45pm and the child was alone when the incident happened.

The source said the boy’s parents were out for work and had left him with a 74-year-old grandmother. She had also gone out while the child was sleeping.

Tang gup, Ugyen Nima, said men in the village are engaged in collecting prayer flags to install serthok for the village temple and women are busy in the fields.

The gup said only old people and children stay home.

“After we heard about the fire, we rushed to the site but by then it had spread to the whole house,” he said.

Police officials in Bumthang said they could not save the boy and the house since the village is far from town.

“But we managed to contain the fire from spreading to other 13 houses in the village,” an official said.

He said they received the report at 3:50pm and when they reached the site, the house was gutted.

Police said they are investigating the cause of the fire.

According to police, when the grandmother tried to rescue the boy, she also suffered minor injuries.

The dzongkhag kidu officer handed over a semso of Nu 20,000 and disaster kit to the family. Tang gewog administration also provided support.

Nim Dorji