Paradip: More than 50 shops have been reduced to ashes in a devastating fire that broke out late Saturday night at the vegetable market at Badapadia in Odisha’s Paradip.
According to sources, the blaze started from one shop at around 1.30 am and quickly spread to closely-packed adjacent stalls, engulfing the entire market within minutes. Vendors watched helplessly as their cash, vegetables, stock, computers used for transactions, or other valuables were consumed by the fire.
The inferno gutted large parts of the market before firefighters could bring the situation under control. Fire Service personnel from Kujang were the first to arrive at the scene. They were soon joined by fire tenders from Paradip Port, IFFCO, IOCL, AMNS and PPL industrial units. It took them around 3 hours to douse the flames. No casualties were reported, but several motorcycles and other property were also destroyed alongside the shops.
While the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, it is being suspected to have started from mosquito coils or a possible short circuit. Traders have demanded compensation and stronger safety measures to prevent such disasters in the future.
“We had drawn the attention of the authorities when 5-7 shops were gutted earlier and sought a permanent solution with a proper vending zone,” said Babuni Sahoo, a vegetable vendor.
