A massive fire broke out at Shanti Hotel on OT Road, Baleshwar, destroying property worth lakhs and disrupting traffic for nearly an hour.
The blaze started around 11:30 am when a pipe connecting the LPG cylinder to the stove caught fire during cooking. Within half an hour, flames spread rapidly, engulfing three rooms of the hotel.
By the time the fire brigade arrived, a cylinder inside the premises had already exploded, causing a loud blast. Firefighters managed to bring the flames under control after a tense operation.
Though property was extensively damaged, hotel staff narrowly escaped death. The incident also halted traffic on OT Road for about an hour.
Officials noted that the hotel lacked proper fire safety measures, and employees were reportedly unaware of how to operate extinguishers, allowing the fire to spread unchecked.
