Aska, June 8; A major fire broke out at the Head Post Office in Aska town of Odisha’s Ganjam district, reportedly due to a short circuit, causing extensive damage to official records, furniture, and computer equipment.
The fire erupted on the second floor of the post office building and quickly spread across the premises. Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly three hours before bringing it under control. Four fire brigades from Aska, Hinjilicut, Dharakote, and Kabisuryanagar were pressed into service, and after strenuous efforts, the fire was finally extinguished.
According to preliminary reports, several important documents, office furniture, and computer systems were reduced to ashes in the incident. The extent of the damage is expected to be significant, as the Aska Head Post Office oversees 45 sub-post offices, two head post offices, and 246 rural branch post offices in the region.
Locals and officials have raised concerns over the building’s safety standards, alleging that the structure lacked adequate fire safety arrangements. Questions have also been raised about the building's design and preparedness to handle such emergencies.
Despite an FIR being lodged following the incident, no investigation team from the Berhampur Postal Mail Group (PMG) office has reportedly reached the site so far. Authorities are yet to assess the exact extent of the losses, while further investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.
