Smoke billows out of the boys’ hostel in Shillong on Tuesday. This picture was taken by a schoolboy Kormi Lamarr

Shillong, Jan. 3: A fire engulfed a boy’s hostel here today, a day after an inferno razed a 10-year-old Roman Catholic Church.

The fire that broke out at Biro Boys’ Hostel in Upper Lachaumiere around 1.30pm is suspected to have been caused by an electrical short-circuit. The caretaker of the hostel, Shamachaki Devi, said, “I was in the kitchen when I saw smoke emanating from a room. The fire could have been caused by an electrical short-circuit.”

The flames damaged furniture and boarders’ books but no one was injured. A boarder, Akash Lama, was present in one of the hostel rooms but he managed to escape.

Around six fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames at the hostel, which is located on the top floor of a building owned by P. Marbaniang. S.C. Nath, an official of the fire department, said electrical short-circuit was suspected to be the cause of the fire. The department has started investigations to ascertain the real cause. The fire that razed the Visitation Church of Mawprem parish under Sngithiang locality in Lower Mawprem in the wee hours yesterday is also suspected to have been caused by an electrical short-circuit.