A fire broke out at Unit‑1 Market in Bhubaneswar, gutting two shops and damaging nearby stalls, with property loss estimated in lakhs.
According to preliminary investigation, the blaze was triggered by an electrical short circuit. Local residents noticed smoke early in the morning and alerted shopkeepers and the fire service.
Two fire service teams rushed to the spot and battled the flames for over two hours, successfully preventing the fire from spreading to adjoining shops and stalls.
The gutted shops included a grocery outlet and a puja materials store, while three other shops suffered partial damage. Deputy Fire Officer Narayan Das confirmed that the fire was fully brought under control and no casualties were reported.
This incident comes months after a major fire on January 20 at the same market, which destroyed over 40 shops. Repeated fire outbreaks at Unit‑1 Market have raised serious questions about safety measures, with locals demanding urgent action from the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to protect the heritage market.
