UP: 50 shops in Kanpur's Collecotorganj gutted as fire erupts

Kanpur (UP) May 13 (PTI) A massive fire broke out on Tuesday gutting 50 shops and about three dozen vehicles in the congested old Galla Mandi locality in Collecotorganj area here, police said.

There were, however, no casualties, said an official.

Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Deepak Sharma told reporters here that a major fire broke out in old Galla Mandi and gutted over 50 shops, mostly grocery shops, various oil shops and medical stores.

Sharma said that some people sustained severe burn injuries in the incident.

The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the preliminary probe raised suspicion towards a possible short circuit at a turpentine oil shop or an alleged explosion in an e-rickshaw battery may have led to the fire, said another fire official.

The fire led to several blasts in LPG cylinders injuring around six people, who sustained severe burn injuries, he added.

District Magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh said that instructions have been issued to conduct a thorough investigation into the fire incident to determine the exact cause of fire and assess the full extent of the damage and injuries.

The locals said that neighbours noticed huge flames and thick smoke emanating from shops around 3 pm and it quickly spread to adjacent shops, makeshift shops and other structures due to strong winds, resulting in significant property damage and economic losses.

After getting information about the huge fire, the firefighters were dispatched to the site and they took hours to douse the flames. PTI CORR ABN AS AS