HYDERABAD, March 28: Eighty houses were gutted and three people received burn injuries when a fire broke out in Mushtarka Colony, Tando Mohammad Khan, on Monday morning.

The fire broke out when an electric wire fell on one of the houses. The conflagration spread to the entire colony due to strong winds, forcing women, children and elderly people to come out of homes and run helter-skelter.

Two minor children and an old woman received serious burn injuries. Valuables, including ornaments, food grain items and cattle, were destroyed in the fire.

Despite hectic efforts by taluka and union council nazims, fire tenders from Hyderabad reached the area after two hours. The fire tenders extinguished the fire with the help of people after three hours.

Fire tenders of the Tando Mohammad Khan Taluka Municipal Administration are reportedly lying out of order for 10 years.

The TMA had allocated Rs250,000 in each annual budget for last three years for repairs of the fire tenders but nothing has been done so far.

Former Sindh Chief Minister Sardar Ali Mohammad Mahar had announced two fire tenders for Tando Mohammad Khan at a public meeting but the same have not been made available till date.

Affected families have appealed to authorities to order an inquiry into the incident.