Darjeeling: A shopping arcade in the heart of Darjeeling town on Nehru Road, a few yards away from the Darjeeling Mall, had a narrow escape with a fire breaking out in one of the woolen garment stores on the first floor.
The area is a tourist hub and is also frequented by local residents. However, there were no reports of any loss of life or injury. Two fire engines managed to control the blaze.
At around noon, people passing by saw dense smoke billowing out from the first floor and immediately called in the fire brigade. Soon the fire brigade and police arrived. “We got a fire call around 12:30 pm and rushed to the spot. In half-an-hour, the second engine also arrived,” stated a fire official.
“The room had a double partitioned wall and hence the fire had an impact inside but did not spread rapidly. The room contained woolen and other garments.
The exact reason of the fire cannot be ascertained at this moment but it could be an electric fire,” added the official. At around 2 pm, the flames were was contained.