Bhubaneswar: A major fire broke out at the Market Building in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday morning, engulfing around 20 shops and damaging articles worth lakhs of rupees.
According to sources, the incident occurred around 5 am. Security guards and onlookers noticed thick plumes of smoke billowing from a garment shop near Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) multi-storey car parking complex.
Multiple fire tenders, including teams from Kalpana Fire Station and Lok Seva Bhawan fire unit, were dispatched to the scene after receiving information. The firefighting personnel battled the raging flames inside the interconnected shops, feeding rapidly on highly combustible fabrics and textiles behind the closed stores, with persistent rains doing little to help contain the blaze.
The firefighters broke open the padlocks and shutters to gain entry and also deployed high-pressure water and foam inside the structural gaps to establish a barrier, ultimately bringing the blaze under control.
As news of the incident spread, panicked shopkeepers along with nearby traders rushed to the spot. Many were seen frantically attempting to salvage inventory and expensive goods from adjacent, untouched stores to prevent further loss.
While an investigation is underway to confirm the exact cause, fire officials strongly suspect that an electrical short circuit inside one of the locked units triggered the blaze. Although piles of inventory, clothing stock, and store interiors were completely reduced to ashes, no casualties or injuries have been reported.