Puri shopping complex fire under control after 24 hours; over 140 people rescued

Puri, Mar 9 (PTI) The devastating blaze that broke out at a market complex near the Shree Jagannath Temple here was brought under control in a 24-hour-long fire-fighting operation on Thursday, while about 140 people were rescued, official sources said.

The fire gutted almost all the 43 shops, a bank and a hotel that the Laxmi Market Complex consisted of. However, there was no casualty.

“The fire is now under control though smoke was billowing from certain parts of the market complex,” said DG, Fire Service, S K Upadhyaya, who visited the site earlier in the day.

Three fire department personnel and three tourists were hospitalised due to exposure to flame and smoke, an officer said.

It was a tough job for the firefighters as there was only one exit and entry point to the three-storied building.

Garments, toys and leather products kept in shops functioned as fuel to the fire and that took a long time to douse the blaze, the officer said.

Besides 12 fire tenders, 90 fire service personnel, local police and members of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), the administration also engaged a team from the National Fire Service College to fight the inferno.

The college team members were undergoing training at the Odisha Fire and Disaster Response Academy in Bhubaneswar for the last few days. They were rushed to Puri to assist the state fire brigade personnel.

The official said the blaze was first spotted at a garment store on the first floor of Laxmi Market Complex on Grand Road around 9 pm on Wednesday. Though the fire was doused on Wednesday night, it reappeared at about 2 AM.

Altogether 106 tourists from Nashik in Maharashtra were rescued from the hotel in the building and taken to a temporary shelter. Around 30 other people were also brought out from there, he said.

The reason behind the incident is yet to be ascertained, said Minister of State for Home, TK Behera, who rushed to oversee the fire-fighting operation.

He said the shop owners will be compensated following due procedure.

Meanwhile, local BJP MLA Jayant Sarangi claimed that the district administration has failed to ensure the installation of fire safety systems at hotels and other establishments in the seaside town.