Kanpur: Panic gripped Satbari Maidan in New Azad Nagar after a massive fire gutted three scrap godowns late Tuesday night. While no casualties were reported, scrap worth several lakhs was destroyed.According to officials, the fire started at the godown of one Rahul, where a large quantity of plastic and other highly flammable scrap was stored. The flames spread rapidly and soon reached the adjacent godowns owned by scrap dealers Shailendra and Sheelu. Residents rushed out of their homes as thick smoke and flames rose from the site. Locals said the blaze was so intense that the sky glowed red. New Azad Nagar chowki in-charge, sub-inspector Vijay Singh, reached the spot with police force and moved people to a safe distance before informing the fire brigade. Multiple fire tenders were deployed, and firefighters battled the flames for a long time before bringing the situation under control. Sen Paschim Para police station in-charge Pradeep Kumar Singh said the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. A short circuit or ignition from a flammable substance is suspected, but the exact reason will be known after investigation.
