BERHAMPUR: A massive fire broke out at a car showroom in Autonagar at Haldipadar, on the outskirts of Berhampur, in the early hours of Saturday, causing extensive damage and gutting more than 20 high-end cars.
The fire was detected around 5 am when two security guards on night duty noticed smoke coming from inside the service centre. They immediately alerted company employees, who informed the Fire Services department.
By the time firefighters arrived, the flames had spread rapidly across the two-storey building. Fourteen fire tenders from eight fire stations and more than 70 firefighters were deployed to contain the blaze. The Fire department also deployed its advanced firefighting robot, ‘Krishna’, to tackle the fire.
After nearly three hours of intensive firefighting, the blaze was brought completely under control. More than 20 cars parked inside the service centre were reportedly gutted in the fire. A two-wheeler service centre operating on the upper floor suffered comparatively less damage.
Fire officials reportedly found that the two-storey building did not have adequate fire-safety or firefighting arrangements. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be established. A security guard suspected that the blaze may have originated from the transformer, though officials are yet to confirm this.
Berhampur chief fire officer Bichitra Kumar Panda said the alleged lack of fire-safety measures and a fire-safety certificate would be brought to the attention of senior departmental authorities. Legal action would be initiated against the company after an investigation, he said.
The company manager and showroom authorities declined to comment on the alleged absence of fire-safety arrangements.
Meanwhile, a major fire broke out at the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Gajapati district’s Paralakhemundi on Friday, completely gutting the office’s server room. The fire reportedly broke out on the first floor of the RTO building and quickly spread to the server room, destroying servers and other materials. Fire Services personnel rushed to the spot and doused the fire within three hours.
A preliminary assessment suggests that an electrical short circuit may have triggered the fire. However, the exact cause is yet to be ascertained.