The century-old Makaibari Tea garden estate bungalow, near Kurseong, between Nepal and Bhutan, was devastated by a fire which is thought to have started with an electrical short-circuit on 16th March.
The tea garden produces the prestigious Makaibari Silver Tips Darjeeling tea which was presented by India’s Prime Minister to Queen Elizabeth in 2015. The bungalow, although still lived in by one of the tea garden’s owners, was effectively the plantation museum containing antique furniture, mementoes and rare books which have been destroyed. This loss again shows the need to install and upgrade fire detection and extinguishing equipment in heritage buildings, and to ensure that all electrical installations and equipment respect both safety and fire resistance standards.
“Makaibari memories go up in flames – Fire destroys Kurseong bungalow”, 17 March 2017 https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170317/jsp/frontpage/story_141078.jsp