41 Houses in Ganjam District set ablaze in Group Clash

In a gruesome group clash, as many as 41 residential houses were set ablaze when members of two rival groups allegedly hurled bombs at each other and set afire thatched houses in Ambagoan village under Jarada police station limits in Ganjam district on Sunday.

Odisha Police arrested 11 persons in connection to the case. It claimed no one was injured in the arson. Fire tenders rushed to the village located on the Odisha-Andhra border and doused the fire. The quantum of loss due to the fire is yet to be ascertained, police said.

According to the Police, the incident occurred when one group set ablaze the houses belonging to their rival group by pouring kerosene. Some others were gutted due to explosion of crude bombs hurled to the houses. Fire tenders went to the spot and controlled the blaze.

Most of male persons of the village fled fearing arrest while only women and children have stayed back in the village. Though the enmity between the two groups in the village is old, the sudden provocation for the fresh incident is under investigation. The two groups had clashed with bombs around a fortnight ago.