8 shops gutted in fire at furniture market in Gorakhpur

Gorakhpur (UP), April 12 (PTI) Eight shops were gutted in a fire likely triggered by an electrical short circuit in a transformer at a furniture market in the Town Hall area of Gorakhpur, police said Wednesday.

The fire started around 10 pm Tuesday night on Bank Road but was controlled within 45 minutes, they said.

No person was injured in the incident.

Some people saw a spark in the transformer near a tea shop after which the shop caught fire. People soon rushed out of the shop as the flames spread to the furniture shops nearby.

“We got information around 10.15 pm that a fire had broken out,” SP (City) Krishna Kumar said.

Fire department personnel soon reached the spot and controlled the fire.

“It is said the fire broke out due to a short circuit in the transformer. The fire was contained within the furniture market… Eight shops were gutted and goods worth lakhs of rupees were damaged. However, there was no casualty in the incident,” Kumar added.

“The fire was contained within 45 minutes with the help of eight fire tenders. There was no casualty. The nearby medicine market and petrol pump were saved,” Chief Fire Officer Arvind Kumar Singh said.