COLOSSAL LOSS: Fire being extinguished at Badabazar in Berhampur on Wednesday.

BERHAMPUR: Forty-six shops were gutted at Badabazar wholesale vegetable market of the city in the wee hours of Wednesday. It took more than five hours for the fire brigade to extinguish the fire.

According to assistant fire officer Bhaskar Chandra Patro, short-circuit could be the cause of fire. At around 2 a.m., fire started from the shop of P. Apanan Sahu and it soon spread out to other shops in the periphery.

As per initial assessment, the total losses could be above Rs. 20 lakhs, including vegetables worth some Rs. 4 lakhs, cash of Rs. 4 lakhs and infrastructure worth Rs. 12 lakhs.

Traders and daily wagers associated with the market helped the fire brigade personnel in dousing the fire. One person Ina Choudhury was injured when a log fell on his head while he was pouring water on a burning shop.

Berhampur MP and Union Minister of State for Rural Development Chadrasekhar Sahu and local MLA Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik rushed to the spot. They assured the traders of taking up the matter with the administration.

With narrow streets, the fire brigade personnel had a tough time vehicles reaching the area along with their vehicles.

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