Fire at Dharapur market damages items worth 8L

Guwahati: A massive fire broke out at a market in the Dharapur area, on the outskirts of the city, late on Sunday, gutting at least seven shops and damaging properties worth around several lakhs, police said.
Azara police station OC Pranjal Chetia said the fire broke out at around 10.15 pm on Sunday. “A total of seven shops, including tea stalls and grocery shops, were gutted.While three shops were reduced to ashes, other four were partially affected. However, no casualties were reported in the incident,” Chetia added.
The fire caused losses to the tune of Rs 8 lakh before it was brought under control. Three fire tenders were engaged to control the fire. “It appears the fire might have started from an electric short circuit, but the exact reason can only be ascertained after a detailed investigation,” Chetia said.
Pandu fire station OC Pulin Chandra Ray said, “The damage could have been worse if locals had not removed the valuables from the shops. Despite rain, it took us around one and a half hour to bring the situation completely under control.”