Alipurduar, Oct. 28 -- A major fire broke out at Totopara More in Madarihat, Alipurduar district, around 4 am on Wednesday, gutting five shops and causing extensive damage.
The fire destroyed two paan shops, a fruit shop, a fast-food outlet and a shop repairing fans and televisions.
According to local residents, a fire engine from Falakata reached the spot nearly an hour after the incident was reported and brought the blaze under control after a prolonged operation.
Residents alleged that despite the presence of a fire station in nearby Birpara, no fire engine arrived even after calls for assistance. Eventually, firefighters from Falakata had to be called in. By then, all five shops had been gutted.
The Fire department suspects that a short circuit may have triggered the blaze, although the exact cause is yet to be officially confirmed.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.