Cuttack, Feb 4: A massive fire broke out in City Style Shopping Mall at Badambadi area in Cuttack this morning. The intensity of fire was so high that it spread to the adjacent buildings causing havoc in the area.
The fire first broke out in the City Style Shopping Mall, which later spread to Geeta Fashion Showroom and four shops including two bookstalls and a hotel near the mall.
Properties worth crores of rupees were destroyed due to the fire, sources informed adding a person have been injured and hospitalised in the incident.
On being informed, more than 10 fire fighters are pressed into service to douse the fire. Wearing masks and other fire safety equipments, the fire fighters are engaged in preventing the flames from spreading to nearby building.
It was suspected that due to short circuit, the fire broke out in the ground floor of the City Style Shopping Mall and quickly spread out to the other floors of the building.
The huge stock of clothes, leather items and other inflammable materials kept inside the mall act like a catalyst resulting to massive fire, sources added.
The incidents occurred at around 11.30 am. In no time, the fire spread quickly emanating dense smoke from the spot. On getting alert, more than 100 of customers and employees managed to move out from the mall unhurt.
Hundreds of passerby and commuters gathered in front of the mall to watch the inferno episode. As a result hundreds remained stranded on both side of the Link Road-Badambadi road pressing police personnel at the spot to disperse the crowd.
Fire safety measures in the mall were not up to the mark. A team has been formed to investigative the reason of fire and to examine whether the shopping mall have installed adequate fire safety in the mall, Sources added.
