Massive fire ravages Bhubaneswar’s Unit-I Haat, 30 shops reduced to ashes

Bhubaneswar: A major fire swept through the bustling Unit-I Haat market in the Odisha capital on Wednesday afternoon, gutting around 30 shops and causing property losses worth crores of rupees, officials said.

According to fire department sources, the blaze broke out around 2:20 pm in one of the grocery shops and rapidly spread to adjoining stores packed with inflammable goods. Thick smoke soon engulfed the area, triggering panic among traders and shoppers.

More than a dozen fire tenders were pressed into service and it took over two hours for firefighters to bring the flames under control. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported in the incident.

Chief fire officer Ramesh Chandra Majhi said preliminary reports suggest the fire started due to a possible electrical short circuit, though a detailed investigation is underway to confirm the cause.

Police and fire officials have cordoned off the affected section of the market and begun assessing the extent of the damage. Traders described the fire as one of the worst in recent years at the city’s largest daily marketplace.

(with agency inputs)