VASCO
Panic gripped Primeirovaddo, Velsao, on Sunday afternoon after a fire broke out at the ancestral house of Dr Sanjay Coelho.
Local panch Francisco Braganza alerted the Fire Brigade, while Goa Congress treasurer Orville Dourado Rodrigues and his resort staff rushed with portable fire fighting equipment to control the blaze.
With help from villagers, they managed to contain the fire before it spread further.
Although Verna Fire Station personnel responded swiftly, they could not reach the site directly due to illegal and incomplete construction work by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).
The company had dismantled an age-old culvert that served as a motorable right of way since the 1890s, forcing the fire tender to take a long detour through Cansaulim and Arossim.
The delay of over 45 minutes severely hampered firefighting operations.
One section of the heritage roof and priceless antique furniture were gutted. Dr Coelho, distraught over the damage, held South Western Railway and RVNL responsible, recalling that his earlier complaint to Verna police about mud dumped outside his home was ignored.
He expressed gratitude to villagers, especially Rodrigues, for saving a larger portion of his house.
In a shocking turn, the other section of the Coelho family residence was later found burgled, with several valuable items missing. Verna police carried out a panchanama at the site.
Rodrigues has urged police to conduct an immediate tenant verification drive to identify and remove anti-social elements from the largely senior citizen-dominated village.
