Two Shops Gutted In Early-Morning Fire At Kanakpur, Losses Run Into Lakhs

A devastating fire broke out at Kanakpur in Silchar in the early hours of Saturday (January 3), gutting two commercial establishments, a grocery shop and a furniture workshop and causing losses worth several lakhs of rupees.

The fire was first noticed by people heading out for morning prayers, triggering panic in the locality. Following the alert, the Fire and Emergency Services rushed to the spot. After nearly an hour-long effort, the blaze was brought under control; however, by then, both shops had been completely reduced to ashes.

The affected establishments included a grocery store and a furniture shop. Preliminary assessment suggests that the fire may have been caused by a short circuit.

Nazrul Haque Mazumder, owner of the grocery store, said, “Early in the morning, locals informed me that my shop was on fire. When I arrived, I saw that the entire shop had been gutted. We immediately contacted the Emergency Services, but the fire brigade arrived almost an hour later. By then, everything had turned to ashes. I have suffered a loss of more than Rs. 5 lakh in goods alone, apart from damage to the shop.”

He further added that the adjacent furniture shop also suffered extensive damage. “The neighbouring shop stored sofas, foam, machines and other upholstery materials. The owner has incurred losses of nearly Rs. 12 lakh,” he said.