Jajpur, June 9: A devastating fire broke out late Sunday night at Maa Mangala Bastralaya, a clothing store located near Barada Chhak along National Highway 53 under the jurisdiction of Jenapur Police Station in Jajpur district. The blaze destroyed merchandise and cash worth several lakhs of rupees.
According to sources, the fire was first reported around 10:30 PM. Local residents noticed flames engulfing the shop and immediately informed the owner, Subash Mishra, who had closed the store around 9:30 PM and returned to his residence in Gadmadhupur. Mishra, in turn, alerted the fire services.
Firefighters quickly responded and managed to bring the flames under control. However, by the time the operation concluded, a significant portion of the shop’s inventory had already been reduced to ashes.
Owner Subash Mishra stated that there were no irregularities or issues when he locked up the store earlier in the evening. Preliminary suspicions point to an electrical short circuit as the likely cause of the fire.
With the Raja festival approaching, Mishra had stocked goods worth over ₹5 lakh in anticipation of increased sales. He had reportedly conducted business worth ₹45,000 on the same day and had kept ₹30,000 in cash inside the store for supplier payments.
Following the incident, Mishra has filed a formal complaint at the Jenapur Police Station. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.
