Balasore: A massive fire broke out at a cosmetics store located on Cinema College Road in Odisha’s Balasore town in the early hours of Wednesday.
As per preliminary information, the fire broke out around 3.30 am at the four-storey building located between Cinema Chhak and Babylon Chhak under the jurisdiction of Town police station.
As thick smoke was seen billowing out of the building, locals immediately informed the fire service department. Firefighters rushed to the spot, but the blaze quickly spread from one floor to another, accompanied by loud explosions.
Around ten fire tenders from Balasore, Remuna, and nearby areas were deployed, battling the flames for nearly six hours before finally bringing the situation under control.
Officials said the store contained highly flammable materials like sanitizers, deodorant sprays, nail polish, and nail removers, which fuelled the fire further. As the flames spread rapidly, the upper warehouse section also caught fire. The shop had stocked a large quantity of cosmetics, household goods, decorative items, and gift products, most of which were completely destroyed.
Sources said the fire intensified due to the absence of proper fire safety arrangements in the building, despite its location in one of the city’s busiest commercial areas.
While the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, an electrical short circuit was suspected to have triggered the incident.
