An Arunachal fire killed a woman and her three children and destroyed 19 kutcha houses in the densely populated Parsi-Parlo township of Kurung Kumey district early Thursday, while difficult terrain and poor road connectivity delayed emergency assistance.
The fire broke out at around 1am and spread rapidly from one house to another as residents slept. The deceased were identified as Dongda Yanu, who was in her 30s, and her three children—sons Dongda Karsang and Dongda Maji, and daughter Dongda Amji. Officials said the charred bodies were difficult to identify.
Yanu’s husband, Dongda Taji, suffered serious burn injuries and was taken to a hospital in Itanagar, according to the report. A district official said preliminary investigations suggested that the blaze originated in a local kitchen before spreading to neighbouring homes.
The township lies between the Parsi and Parlo rivers and has a compact settlement pattern, with homes located close together. This allowed the fire to move quickly across the area. Nineteen kutcha houses were completely destroyed and five other structures were partially damaged, officials said.
Additional deputy commissioner Nabam Tajik said residents had little time to save their belongings because the fire spread while they were asleep. “People could not collect any item as they just woke up from deep sleep and ran for safety. The damage will be in crores,” he said.
The response was also affected by the township’s isolation. The nearest fire station and emergency services station are at Koloriang, the district headquarters, around 45 km away. Fire and emergency officials reached the area at about 10am, nearly nine hours after the blaze began. By then, the houses had been reduced to ashes. A district official said officials arrived for assessment because the fire had already subsided.
Authorities have appealed to residents to decongest the settlement and relocate to nearby locations. The District Disaster Management Authority has established a relief camp at the Government Secondary School in Parsi-Parlo, where 23 people from three families are sheltering. Another 16 families have moved into relatives’ homes in the township.
Chief minister Pema Khandu expressed grief over the deaths and the displacement of families in a social media post. He said reports of loss of life and missing family members had made the tragedy particularly painful and offered condolences to those affected.
The fire comes months after Parsi-Parlo, a remote border township located in difficult hilly terrain, suffered widespread damage from flash floods following continuous monsoon rain. Officials have asked residents to address the settlement’s congestion, while the district administration continues its damage assessment and relief operations.
