Four shops were gutted in a fire at the Gudri market in Sonari in the wee hours of Friday. Two readymade garment shops and a fast-food outlet was reduced to ashes. The police claimed the fire was triggered by an electrical short-circuit while the local people suspected to be foul play. According to police, goods and properties worth over Rs 5 lakh were estimated to have been damaged in the fire in the four shops.
Before the fire-brigade had arrived at the spot, the local residents had tried to douse the flame by pouring water in bucket, but the efforts proved to be little. Officer-in-charge, Sonari police station, Sanjiv Kumar, however, claimed it to be a case of electrical short-circuits. According to police, goods and properties worth over Rs 5 lakh were estimated to have been damaged in the fire in the four shops.
“In all four shops have been gutted. More shops would have been affected if the local residents and the fire-brigades had not followed the precautionary measures to prevent the flame from spreading further,” said an official.