A fire broke out in the early hours of the morning between 1 and 1:30 am at 4 Kilo Village in East Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya, completely destroying a shop and causing heavy property damage.
The blaze was first noticed by passersby, who raised an alarm and alerted the residents.
The shop, which had been operating at the location for over two decades, was quickly engulfed by flames, leaving almost no time for salvage. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Initial assessments suggest that the fire may have been caused either by an electrical fault or an “external source”, as the area where the fire is believed to have started did not have an active power supply.
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Residents were awakened by shouts and chaos as the fire spread rapidly across the premises.
Fire and emergency services reached the spot within about 30 minutes, deploying five fire tenders.
Firefighters battled the inferno for more than four hours before finally bringing it under control.
The affected family has appealed for assistance, stating that the shop was their only source of livelihood.
Authorities are expected to assess the damage and determine the exact cause of the fire, while the community remains in shock over the scale of destruction caused by the incident.
