Snapped 11 KV power line triggers major fire in Puri village farmland

A massive fire broke out in the Garapada village under the Nimapada block in Puri, reducing straw stacks spread over nearly seven acres of land to ashes. According to reports, the fire erupted late on Thursday after an 11kV electricity line snapped in the farmland, engulfing the straw heaps.

A resident, Akrur Jena, suffered heavy losses in the incident, as fire gutted his year-long produce. Upon receiving the information, fire personnel from Pipili rushed to the scene and managed to bring the blaze under control. However, by the time the fire services arrived, most of the straw had already been gutted.

No casualties reported

No casualties were reported in the incident. The exact extent of the damage is being assessed, while authorities investigate the cause of the fire.

Similar Incident in Sonepur

Similar fire incident gutted an ethanol factory on Wednesday night in Odisha’s Sonepur district. The fire reportedly erupted late at night under circumstances that remain unclear. Within a short span of time, flames spread rapidly across the factory premises, engulfing machinery, storage units and other infrastructure. The intensity of the fire left little scope for salvaging equipment, resulting in heavy losses.

The back-to-back fire incidents have once again raised serious concerns over electrical safety and fire preparedness across the state.