Bhubaneswar, Nov 14: A massive fire broke out at the Tinikonia Market in Sahid Nagar, Bhubaneswar, in the early hours of Friday, destroying several shops and resulting in the death of an elderly shopkeeper.

The victim has been identified as Kulamani Sahu, an egg trader who routinely slept inside his shop. According to preliminary information, he had lit egg cartons to ward off mosquitoes, a practice he followed every night. The fire is believed to have started from these burning cartons and rapidly spread throughout the shop.

Thick smoke and intense flames trapped Kulamani inside the cabin-like structure, leaving him with no route to escape. With nearby shops closed at that hour, no one was available to respond or raise an alarm. He was found completely charred inside the shop.

Police and firefighters from the Secretariat Fire Station reached the spot after receiving an alert and managed to bring the blaze under control. However, the victim could not be saved.

The police have collected the remains and sent them to Capital Hospital for post-mortem. Further investigation into the incident is underway.