SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Aug 20: At least 15 shops were reduced to ashes in a massive fire at Hirapur Hatia market near the SDM official residence under Sadar police station late night on Friday.
Hirapur Chamber of Commerce Association (HCCA) officials claimed that goods around worth Rs 20 lakh were gutted in the fire. The official assessment by the district administration is yet to be conducted. Most of the shops were of fruits, worship materials, and groceries belonging to middle-class businessmen.
HCCA president Manoranjan Singh said the fire was so much devastating that within a few minutes it spread in the market giving no chance to save any shop. Even two teams of fire fighting had to struggle more than two and half hours to extinguish the fire completely in the market.
“ Short circuit is said to be the reason for the fire. Traders first spotted the fire at 1.30 am. Two teams of fire brigade also reached at 2 am but till then the fire had spread in the market. It was completely controlled at 3.45 zm,” the HCCA president said.
Besides chamber officials, including president Singh, vice-president Dwarika Sab, secretary Srikant Soundik, treasurer Nageswar Sab, social activist Sanjay Singh, patron of HCCA Ashok Soundik, staff and security guards of the SDM, patrolling party of Dhanbad Sadar police station also rushed to control the fire.
However, an official of Jharkhand Bijili Vitran Nigam Limited said that traders had taken illegal power connections and it may have triggered a short circuit in the market.
