Badnawar (Madhya Pradesh): Eight animals died and 12 others sustained severe burn injuries after a massive fire broke out at a farmhouse in Baloda village on Wednesday afternoon. The deceased animals included five cows, two buffaloes, and calves worth Rs 12 lakh.
The farmhouse, belonging to farmer Gopal, is situated along the road leading toward Dangikhedi. Gopal had sheltered the animals there to protect them from the summer heat. The fire erupted suddenly around 1 pm and rapidly escalated into a large blaze. All eight animals that perished were tethered at the time and could not escape as the entire enclosure was reduced to ashes.
Two fire tenders from the municipal council rushed to the scene and brought the fire under control after strenuous efforts. Fire brigade drivers Laxminarayan Parmar and Narendra Kumar Reel, along with firemen Nitin Gosar and Yogendrasingh Panwar, said they suspect an electrical fault caused the blaze.
The farmhouse was stocked with wheat straw, which proved difficult to extinguish owing to strong winds, significantly prolonging operations. A large number of villagers assisted in the efforts while a veterinarian reached the site to treat the injured animals.
