Overview
- At least 38 thatched houses in Sarlanka/Sarlankapalle, Kakinada district, were destroyed overnight, displacing roughly 100–120 villagers with no casualties reported.
- Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu ordered immediate relief of ₹25,000 for each affected family, temporary accommodation and food, and sanctioning of new houses.
- Authorities will run special camps to replace destroyed documents such as Aadhaar cards and will keep district officials monitoring rehabilitation.
- Police and fire services worked for hours to contain the blaze in the remote hamlet, where poor mobile coverage delayed alerts to authorities.
- Officials say a short circuit likely sparked the fire, though early reports mentioned a possible gas leak and the cause remains under investigation.