Silchar Hospital Road Fire Guts 4 Shops, Livelihoods Lost Overnight

A major fire broke out early Tuesday (April 14) morning on Hospital Road in Silchar, opposite the Veterinary Hospital, destroying four roadside establishments and leaving several families in distress. Initial estimates suggest losses worth several lakhs, though the exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined.

According to local sources, the fire spread rapidly and gutted two motorcycle garages, one lathe machine workshop and a pan shop before firefighters could bring it under control. Fire and Emergency Services rushed to the spot and managed to contain the flames, but most of the structures had already been reduced to ashes.

Eyewitnesses said several machines and vehicles were lost in the blaze. “By the time I reached, the fire was under control. We saw that two lathe machines, a scooty, welding machines and motorcycles were completely destroyed. Around 15 to 20 daily wage workers depend on these shops. They are now helpless,” a eye witness said.

The affected establishments have been identified as Laxmi Welding Work, Amarali Auto Work, a shop owned by Shekhar Patwa and a pan shop belonging to Sukumar Debnath.

Family members of the shop owners said the fire has left them in a difficult situation. “My mother called me around 4:30 am saying my father’s shop had caught fire. My father and uncle are currently outside the state for treatment. This small business runs our household. Now we do not know what to do,” a woman related to one of the victims said. She added that three of the damaged shops belonged to her family.

The incident has severely impacted the livelihoods of several workers who relied on these establishments for daily income. Shop owners and workers have appealed for financial assistance from the government. With no elected MLA in place following the recent elections, locals have urged former MLA Dipayan Chakraborty and BJP candidate Dr Rajdeep Roy to step in and support the affected families.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the fire, and further investigation is expected.