Balasore: As many as 16 houses were gutted when a major fire broke out at Mallikapur village under Khaira block in Balasore district late on Thursday.
The fire originated from the house of one Nisakar Das and quickly spread to the neighbouring ones, destroying properties worth over Rs 2 lakh.
On being informed, fire tenders rushed to the spot and doused the flames.
No casualty or injury was reported in the incident. Though the exact cause of the mishap is yet to be known, an electrical short
circuit is believed to have triggered the fire, reports said.