The Department of Disaster Management (DDM) will be investigating the cause of the fire that engulfed eighty-one shops in Sarpang yesterday.
Police officials and residence suspect the fire to have started due to short circuit, while others believe it started from candlelight. Shop owners used candles after lights completely went off at around 2: 30pm.
Before that, residences and shop owners had experienced power fluctuations.
Officials from Bhutan Power Corporation have denied the allegation that the fire started as a result of a short circuit.
Prime Minister, Tshering Tobgay, who arrived at the scene, promised the victims that all possible assistance would be rendered. The office of the Gyalpo Zimpon is also soon to be expected at the scene to provide assistance.
Today, some of the victims of the fire have been seen grieving at the scene. While some have been able to salvage some properties with the help of firefighters, many lost all their belongings.
Some victims have proposed the government for loans to rebuild their homes, but the possibility seemed far-fetched since most of the shop owners did not own the land to mortgage against the loan.
Almost all the shop owners did not have their shops insured.
It took about three hours and 200 firefighters including three fire brigades, army personnel, police, De-suups and locals to contain the fire.
