More than 80 shops in the Udhagamandalam Municipal Market were destroyed, as a fire ravaged the market, over a four-hour period on Tuesday morning.
T. Immanuel, District Fire Officer, Nilgiris, said that it was suspected that a short-circuit led to the initial fire, before three LPG cylinders kept inside a few tea stalls and eateries in the market exploded. “Our personnel removed eight cylinders before they exploded. If we had not acted so quickly, the fire could have been a lot worse,” said Mr. Immanuel.
According to fire department officials, a total of 81 shops, including over 50 vegetable shops, three tea stalls, six general provisions stores and an eatery were destroyed in the fire.
The fire was first noticed by a resident of Elk Hill, who informed the fire department. It took the fire and rescue service personnel over four hours to put out the fire, with over 30 fire-fighters involved in the battle to control the blaze, with three fire tenders also being pressed into service.
“As these shops were really closely packed together due to encroachments, the fire, which broke out at the centre of the market, spread quickly in all directions,” said Mr. Immanuel, adding that no one was killed or injured in the incident.
