Fire Destroys Workshop And Vehicles Worth Over Rs. 1 Crore In Ramnagar, Silchar

A massive fire broke out late Sunday night (August 17) near the Chirukandi Point (Second Rail Gate) at Ramnagar in Silchar, completely gutting Zam Zam Motors along with several vehicles. It took more than 10 fire tenders and hours of effort to bring the flames under control.

Locals informed the police and fire department after spotting the fire. Cachar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Numal Mahatta rushed to the site along with a large police team to oversee operations. Despite the relentless firefighting efforts, the blaze reduced the entire workshop and more than eight vehicles to ashes, causing damage worth several crores of rupees.

Workshop owner Akhtar Hussain alleged foul play, claiming the fire might have been set deliberately. “I got a call last night that a fire had caught the garage. Every night we leave this garage with so many cars, trusting the night guard, but when we reached here, we found him missing. Around 40 cars were here, of which 8 have been completely damaged. Inside, there are alignment machines, parts and equipment worth over Rs. 30 lakh, and outside, cars worth over Rs. 1 crore are damaged. I doubt someone from outside set the fire,” he said.

Some locals also alleged that there might be a conspiracy to inflict financial losses on the workshop owner.

After the late-night firefighting operation, SSP Numal Mahatta said, “It’s a garage, so there were lubricants inside, which made it difficult to douse the flames. Fire tenders from F&ES and ONGC rushed in. The fire outside the garage was brought under control quickly, but inside, where the lubricants were stored, it took time as the area was locked. Foam was used to douse the flames. The extent of the losses will be assessed by the fire services.”

Police have initiated an investigation into the cause of the fire.