Bhubaneswar, January 20: The Unit-1 Market in Bhubaneswar will remain closed on Tuesday following a massive fire in the market late on Monday night, said an official release.
According to a Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) statement, the market will remain shut for cleaning and removal of debris and inspection and checking of fire safety arrangements in and around the market area.
The civic body has urged all vendors of Unit-I Market to cooperate with BMC authorities for the smooth conduct of the inspection and checking activities.
Meanwhile, BMC Commissioner Chanchal Rana visited the market area to take stock of the situation and alleged that the traders are not following the guidelines issued by the SRC.
“Despite repeated instructions to the traders not to sell and store plastic items, some traders continued the practice. Traders are not following the SRC guidelines,” said Rana.
Notably, a massive fire broke out at Unit-1 Market in Bhubaneswar at around 1.45 AM on Monday, reducing more than 40 shops to ashes and causing extensive damage to property.
According to sources, the blaze first erupted at an idol shop located near the Capital Police Station. The flames soon spread to a nearby parked scooter and then rapidly engulfed adjoining shops. The presence of plastic goods in nearby shops also fuelled the blaze, making firefighting operations more challenging.
To control the blaze, as many as 13 fire tenders were pressed into service along with robotic monitors and a striking fire force team. After nearly three hours of continuous effort, the fire was finally brought under control.
Meanwhile, an investigation has been initiated to determine the exact cause of the fire.
