Fire destroys shops, shanties in Cuttack

However, no one was injured in the inferno in the three-storied building of Ruchi spices, a unit of Om & Flour Mills Ltd in Khapuria Industrial Estate, police sources said.

The security staff of the company initially tried to douse the flame with their in-house fire extinguisher provisions but when they failed to control the inferno the fire brigade was informed. At least four fire tenders took nearly four hours to bring the blaze under control. But by that time the unit had suffered damage.

Spices, raw materials, machineries and important documents stored inside the guest house of the company in the same building are stated to have been damaged in the mishap, said Sarat Sahu, proprietor of the mill.

Fire brigade personnel supervising the operation however, could not ascertain the exact cause of the fire. "We are investigating into it," said assistant fire officer P K Chakraborthy.

Insiders, however, claimed that the fire broke out due to an electric short circuit which probably began from the boiler unit of the plant.