East Midnapore: Fire guts several shops at Ramnagar Bazar

Kolkata: Several shops at Ramnagar Bazar in East Midnapore were gutted after a fire broke out in the early hours of Friday.

The blaze erupted around 3 am at a sweetmeat shop in the marketplace. Staff members noticed the flames and managed to escape, alerting others in the area. Despite repeated attempts by shop owners, the fire could not be brought under control.

Fanned by dry and windy weather, the flames spread rapidly. During the blaze, compressors of seven refrigerators and two LPG cylinders exploded one after another, further aggravating the situation. The fire soon spread to another sweetmeat shop and a stationery store. Two fire tenders were pressed into service and the flames were finally doused after nearly two hours. No injuries were reported.

Fire brigade officials suspect the blaze may have been triggered by a short circuit, though the exact cause is yet to be ascertained.