KOZHIKODE: For Shailaja K and her family hailing from Pallipoyil in Chelannur gram panchayat here, a secure roof over their heads has always been a dream. Still, the family of three were content living in their single-room house made of mud, with a coconut thatched roof. But on Vishu Day -- April 15 -- their hopes were shattered when the house was gutted in a fire following a short circuit.
The fire completely destroyed the house, leaving nothing behind. Shaiaja and her husband couldn't secure their life savings of Rs 1.5 lakh, which was also charred into ashes. The money was raised by the couple after selling their three buffaloes in order to construct a new house. Now the family is left with no clothes to change into and all their documents have been destroyed. The 42-year old Shailaja lives with her ailing husband who is unable to go for work and her son who is studying in Class 12.
The fire broke out just a few hours before having the Vishu Sadya. No one was inside the house at the time, with Shailaja clearing the waste outside. Several people in the neighbourhood who came to rescue the family and douse the fire had suffered burns.
Lamenting her loss, Shailaja said, "I was not in the house when the fire broke out. One of the neighbours informed me about the accident and I immediately rushed to the house. We were already in a bad situation as we couldn't deposit the money in the bank because of some technical glitches pointed out by bank officials. Since the day the money came to our family, we made sure to keep it securely as that was the last bit of savings we had for our future," she added.
As per the inspection conducted by the police and KSEB officers here, the incident happened due to a short circuit. The family, who could not even afford to move to a rented house, is living at a neighbour's house now. The family had already applied for a home under the state government's LIFE Mission project. But their applications have been rejected twice citing several issues.