Shops gutted in fire near level crossing No. 22

Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 20

A fire broke out at an eatery near railway crossing number 22 after a blast early this morning. A few nearby shops were also gutted.

The shops were completely gutted in fire before the fire tenders reached the spot. All products in the shops were destroyed in the blaze.

According to officials, a loud noise of a blast was heard, hinting at a cylinder blast inside the eatery. “The fire was doused after a couple of hours, but by then the fire had engulfed the nearby shops too and had caused a lot of damage. However, no loss of life was reported,” an official said.

“At first, we could only see flames coming out of the eatery, but suddenly a blast occurred and the fire rapidly spread to the nearby shops as some clothes and wooden material were stored there. As per the shopkeepers, the destroyed material was worth lakhs of rupees,” a cyclist passing by said.