Cuttack: More than 25 shops were reduced to ashes after a major fire broke out at a fish market near Press Chhak here around 2.30 am on Monday. The blaze led to a massive fire-fighting operation lasting nearly nine hours. No casualties were reported. Fire services officials and police have launched a probe to determine the origin of fire and assess the extent of the losses.Fish vendors said cash, business documents, account records and other valuables kept in almirahs were reduced to ashes. Several machines, weighing equipment, refrigerators, storage units and other equipment used for fish trading were also destroyed in the blaze, leaving traders staring at huge financial losses. The fire rapidly spread to a three-storey building adjacent to the market and a bank located within the complex.“I reached the spot around 2.40 am and saw everything on fire. The blaze was very intense and all shops in the fish market were burning. Fire-fighters were informed immediately. All our belongings, including cash kept in almirahs have been gutted,” said Santosh Kumar Sahoo, a fish vendor whose shop was destroyed in the fire.Eight fire tenders were pressed into service to contain the inferno. “Fire-fighters faced significant challenges due to dense smoke and presence of highly combustible materials stored inside the market. Plastic items, paint containers, tarpaulin sheets and other flammable goods intensified the blaze and reduced visibility,” said Prashant Kumar Bal, a fire officer.“The fire has been completely extinguished. We have informed the Roads and Buildings (R&B) department to conduct a structural audit of the affected building and the surrounding area. If the audit identifies any structural instability or safety concerns, appropriate action will be taken immediately in accordance with the findings,” said collector (Cuttack) Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde.
