Guwahati: A fire at a grocery wholesale store in Hatigaon’s Laxmi Nagar destroyed goods and appliances worth approximately Rs 20 lakh on Friday.The blaze was reported to the Dispur fire station at 4.45 am. “The firefighters reached the spot within minutes and found the shop engulfed in flames,” an official from the F&ESS said.The store, owned by Kamaleswar Rajbanshi, was housed in an Assam-type structure. Grocery items, five refrigerators and other electronic appliances were gutted.“Three fire tenders, including a water bowser, were deployed to bring the blaze under control. Firefighting operations continued for several hours before the flames were extinguished. Fire personnel subsequently remained at the site to ensure that the situation returned to normal,” the official said.The affected room measured 20 ft by 20 ft. Officials estimated the property involved at Rs 80 lakh and the damage at Rs 20 lakh, while property worth about Rs 60 lakh was saved.The first tender arrived at 4.47 am, followed by the second at 4.50 am and the water bowser at 5.07 am.
