August 23: In Trashigang, three people have been killed in a fire at the Shingchen Goenpa in Yonphula. The incident occurred at around 3:30 am yesterday morning.

The victims include a 72-year-old man and two girls aged five and seven years.

There were four people in the house when the incident took place.

The fourth person was saved by the father of the two girls. He was guarding his maize fields from wild animals with his wife and their two year old daughter at the time. He rushed home after he heard the fire but he could only save his cousin.

The family has also lost all their belongings.

Gup Ugyen Dorji said the fire could have started from the mud stove. A team of officials from Trashigang Dzongkhag led by the Dzongrab, officials from geog administration in Kanglung, armed force personnel and shopkeepers of Yonphula were there to help the family.

They built a hut for the family and the dzongkhag provided a tarpaulin and food rations.