Malkangiri, Jan, 17: A tragic incident occurred today in Balimela town of Malkangiri district. A fire broke out and completely destroyed the shop of an electrical goods trader.
According to information received, on Wednesday night the shop owner had closed the shutter and returned home. However, sometime after midnight, a fire broke out inside the shop, and the entire establishment was burnt down to ashes.
Early in the morning, local residents noticed thick smoke billowing out from the shop while heading to the market. They immediately informed the shop owner, Ishwar Patra. On receiving the information, the trader rushed to his shop and found that all the electrical items—such as lights, fans, wires, switches, boards, electric pipes, and other materials—had been completely reduced to ashes.
Later, with the help of local people, the fire was brought under control. Although the exact cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, it is suspected that a short circuit may have triggered the incident.
Electrical goods worth more than ₹4 lakh are estimated to have been destroyed. The affected trader, Mr. Patra, has sought government assistance as compensation for the loss. Meanwhile, local residents have demanded that the administration provide immediate compensation to him.