Firefighting operation inside the palace continued for second day in Junga

Firefighting operations continued for a second day inside the ancient palace of the erstwhile Keonthal Estate. Firefighters, police, home guards, and local residents worked tirelessly throughout the day, extinguishing the flames and clearing debris from within the palace. Pankaj Sen, a member of the royal family, stated that the 22-tier temple (Paul) of the deity Junga within the palace is filled with debris, but the idols (Mohuras) of the deity have not yet been found. He stated that numerous people from the Keonthal Estate will be working diligently to clear the debris from the palace and locate the idols. He added that if the government had opened a fire station in Junga, this historic monument could have been saved. By the time fire engines from Shimla arrived in Junga, the raging fire had already engulfed half of the palace. Tehsildar Junga, Kartikeya Sharma, stated that fire engines, police, and Home Guard personnel will remain engaged until the fire is completely extinguished. He added that the timely arrival of fire engines saved the private residences adjacent to the palace. He added that efforts to extinguish the fire within the palace will continue on Friday.