Cuttack, May 16: A fire broke out at the LIC office in Machhua Bazar, Cuttack late last night, causing extensive damage, officials said.

The blaze reportedly started due to a short circuit in a ceiling fan, which had been running for a long time and caught fire. The burning fan fell onto office papers, spreading the fire across the premises.

Employees and locals present in the building immediately alerted the fire department. The fire brigade reached the spot in time and brought the blaze under control before it could spread to the upper floors.

According to reports, the fire broke out around 12:15 a.m. on the ground floor of the office. While the timely intervention of the fire department prevented the fire from spreading further, several important documents, some computers, and office furniture were destroyed in the incident.