Nainital Tragedy: Heritage Building Fire Claims Elderly Woman's Life
Nainital, Aug 28 (PTI) - A tragic fire engulfed a heritage building in Nainital, resulting in the death of an 82-year-old woman, Shanta Bisht, police reported on Thursday.
Shanta Bisht, who perished due to burn injuries, was the sister of esteemed historian and environmentalist Dr. Ajay Rawat.
The fire ignited around 10 pm on Wednesday and was finally extinguished by 2 am, thanks to the efforts of over 40 personnel from three departments engaged in the rescue operation.
Dr. Rawat expressed his grief, confirming that his beloved sister could not survive the devastating blaze. Her son, Nikhil Bisht, managed to escape the building but fell unconscious shortly after.
Vinod Kumar Verma, a witness who operates a mobile phone shop nearby, noticed smoke emanating from the heritage structure at approximately 10 pm. He acted promptly, alerting the fire brigade, who arrived swiftly.
However, the firefighting efforts were hampered when the water in the brigade's tank quickly depleted, necessitating a trip to refill the supply.
The affected building, known as the Old London House, was originally constructed in 1863 during the era when Nainital served as the summer capital of the United Provinces under British India.
Dr. Rawat's sister resided in this historic structure. Tragically, in 2020, another sister of Shanta Bisht, Karnlata Rawat, also succumbed to burn injuries.
Nikhil Bisht is recognized for his work as an art director in numerous Hindi films, including the critically acclaimed "Barfi".
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