Cuttack: Two shops were gutted and property worth lakhs of rupees reduced to ashes when a fire broke out near the Ravenshaw University here late Wednesday night.
Besides, two cars, a Maruti WagonR and a Maruti Swift, parked near the shops have been damaged in the fire.
According to sources, a plastic products shop of one Shridhar Sahu caught fire at around 1.30 am and the blaze later spread to another shop dealing with Puja items. Getting information, a fire-fighting team rushed to the spot and doused the flames with the help of the locals.
“I was informed about the incident by a student at around 1.20 am. Everything was razed to ashes by the time I reached the place. Property worth Rs 5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh have been destroyed. Besides, two cars have completely been destroyed in the fire,” Sahu said.
Though the exact reason behind the fire is not known, it is suspected that electric short circuit might have led to the mishap, he added.