Kanpur: A major fire broke out at a scrap warehouse in Rakhi Mandi under the Juhi police station area in the early hours of Monday, reducing several nearby tarpaulin huts to ashes and triggering panic among residents. More than 20 firefighters battled the blaze for nearly one-and-a-half hours before bringing it under control, preventing it from spreading to adjoining warehouses. No casualties were reported.Residents alerted the police and the fire department soon after noticing the fire. Fire tenders from the Kidwai Nagar and Babupurwa fire stations, along with police personnel, rushed to the spot and launched firefighting operations.Chief fire officer Deepak Sharma said timely action by the fire brigade prevented the flames from spreading to nearby warehouses, averting a major disaster.According to the fire department, the blaze caused extensive damage to plastic polythene stored inside the scrap warehouse. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Police and fire department officials are investigating the incident.
