SAMBALPUR: A Ganesh Puja pandal at Deheripali under Ainthapali area was reduced to ashes after a fire broke out during the evening celebrations in Sambalpur on Monday. However, visitors and organisers escaped unhurt.
The fire was reported at around 8.20 pm at the puja organised by the Deheripali Puja Committee. The fire destroyed the entire main structure along with the Ganesh idol. No damage to other property was reported. No one was injured in the incident.
The puja had been organised on a large scale, with substantial expenditure on the pandal, decorations and other arrangements. The rituals were completed in the afternoon. In the evening, members of the puja committee noticed flames emerging from the pandal and immediately alerted the Fire Services department.
A fire tender reached the spot and brought the blaze under control. However, the fire spread rapidly, leaving the main pandal gutted before the firefighters could contain it.
Fire officer of Sambalpur Sudam Kisko said the department received the fire call at around 8.25 pm. The pandal had an iron framework and was covered with polyester cloth and other decorative materials, which helped the flame spread rapidly.
The exact cause of the blaze is yet to be established. Fire officials, however, suspect that it could have been triggered by a burning diya or an electrical short circuit.
