Massive fire in Assam's Jorhat brought under control; over 200 shops gutted

There was no report of any casualty as all shops were closed with owners and staff having left for their homes, police said

More than 200 shops have been gutted in a massive fire that engulfed a bazaar in Assam's Jorhat district, officials said.

The blaze that broke out late on Thursday evening at Chowk Bazaar, in the heart of Jorhat town, has largely been brought under control, with fire-fighters still working to douse pockets of flames, they said.

Over 25 fire tenders were rushed to the bazaar to fight the flames, which is suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit at a shop, the officials said.

There has been no report of any casualty as all shops were closed with owners and staff left for their homes, a police officer said.

The shops that were damaged mostly sold grocery items and clothes, he said.

Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management Jogen Mohan has reached the spot, and an assessment of losses will be made during the day, the officer added.

This is the second such incident in Jorhat in two months. A major fire in December had gutted several shops in Marwari Patty area.