Image: Locals and shopkeepers watched the devastating fire that caused heavy losses to their livelihoods. Khowai, Feb 19: A devastating f...
Khowai, Feb 19: A devastating fire broke out around midnight on Wednesday at Office Tilla Road near Champa Hawor Chowmuhani in Khowai, reducing nine shops to ashes and causing losses estimated at over ₹50 lakh. No casualties were reported.
According to initial reports, the blaze started around 12 am, allegedly from a suspected electrical short circuit in an automobile spare parts shop. The flames spread rapidly to adjacent establishments, triggering panic in the locality.
Three fire engines from the Khowai Fire Service rushed to the scene. They were later joined by an additional engine from Kalyanpur and a police water cannon named “Varun.” After nearly two hours of coordinated firefighting efforts involving fire personnel, police, and local residents, the blaze was brought under control, preventing it from spreading to nearby residential houses.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer Kudrusu was present at the site and was seen actively supervising and assisting in the firefighting operation.
The shops destroyed in the incident included grocery stores, pan shops, a beauty parlour, a tailoring unit, an automobile spare parts outlet, and a printing and xerox shop. The affected shop owners have been identified as Ankush Acharya, Amal Acharya, Ruma Das, Raju Das, Malay Roy, Swapan Dey, Subhash Sutradhar, Surajit Debnath, and Dhananjay Mukherjee.
While preliminary assessments estimate the damage at over ₹50 lakh, officials indicated that the final loss could potentially exceed ₹1 crore. The Tehsildar and District Control authorities conducted an initial survey of the damage during the night.
Additional District Magistrate Abhedananda Baidya, along with local political leaders, visited the site on Thursday morning and assured affected families of government assistance.
The incident left nine families financially devastated, with business owners appealing for immediate relief. A large number of residents gathered at the site on Thursday morning as the town grappled with the aftermath of the tragic fire.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be officially confirmed, and further investigation is underway.
