Guwahati: Today morning, fire broke out at a hardware shop in the Cinema Sadar Tiniali area of Jorhat destroying the shop and its adjoining godown and causing an estimated property loss of around Rs 4 crore.
As per reports, the fire is suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit. The fire rapidly spread through the premises, engulfing the hardware shop and the godown, which contained a large stock of raw materials.
Local residents alleged that the Fire and Emergency Services team arrived after a considerable delay, by which time the flames had intensified. They also claimed that only one fire brigade reached the spot initially, making it difficult to bring the fire under control quickly.
Expressing disappointment over the response, people of Jorhat said fire department require prompt action and adequate equipment. They alleged that the fire service lacked sufficient resources and failed to reach the scene on time, allowing the blaze to spread further.
Police are investigating the exact cause of the fire, fortunately no casualties or injuries have been reported so far.
Further details are awaited.