Bhubaneswar: A major fire gutted more than 20 shops at a fruit vending zone near Kalpana Square in Bhubaneswar late Thursday night.
According to reports, aside from a few injuries, properties worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed before the fire was doused by fire service personnel.
The cause of the mishap is yet to be ascertained but locals suspect a short circuit triggered the fire. There are also a few who believe that the mishap might be the work of some anti-social elements.
Ironically, the fire department office, located in Kalpana Square, is just yards away from the site of the incident. Fire service personnel subdued the fire after much effort but the inferno was so severe that by the time it was doused, more than 20 vendors ahd already lost their means of livelihood.
The injured have been admitted to Capital Hospital to treat their wounds.
PNN