11 business establishments gutted in Mariani town fire
Dibrugarh: A total of 11 business establishments were reduced to ashes in a fire that broke at Jorhat's Mariani town early on Tuesday.
The blaze, which started around 4.30 am inside a shop, quickly spread to adjacent buildings, including a lodge, before being brought under control nearly five hours later.
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According to witnesses, thick smoke was seen billowing from a shop, prompting locals to alert the fire services. However, response was hampered as only one fire tender was available at the Mariani Fire Station at the time. The other tender had been deployed as a safety measure at a Municipal Election strong room in the district.
"The lone fire tender arrived quickly, but it ran out of water and had to leave for a refill.
By the time it returned, the fire had already spread. Without locals' assistance in removing valuable goods and helping manage the scene, the losses would have been significantly greater," said Ramesh Das, a shop owner.
Additional fire tenders, including ones from ONGC, arrived later and joined the efforts to douse the flames. After a grueling five-hour battle, the fire was finally extinguished. While no injuries were reported, the damage was extensive, with several shops and a lodge completely gutted.
All occupants of the lodge managed to evacuate before the fire reached the building. Before the fire tenders arrived, the locals stepped in, forming human chains to salvage goods from nearby shops before the flames could consume them.
While the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, preliminary assessments point to an electrical short circuit, possibly resulting from faulty wiring or damaged electrical connections.
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