PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
A fire broke out at a furniture shop and warehouse located on the first floor of the iconic Old London House complex at Mallital. Goods worth lakhs of rupees- kept in the furniture warehouse- were burnt to ashes due to the blaze that is supposed to have erupted at 2.30 AM on Tuesday. Notably, this is the second fire incident in the Old London House complex with the first one having broken out on August 27, resulting in the death of a 72-year-old woman. Though a short circuit is said to have triggered the flames the Fire department along with the police is conducting a thorough investigation.
The residents of the lake town said that they were concerned with incidents of blazes happening unabated with the administration and the civic body unable to draw and implement a concrete fire prevention plan. “The second incident happened at a time when the investigation report involving the first incident was still being prepared. This is not just worrisome but it seems there is something fishy which needs to be exposed,” said a resident.
At 2:30 AM, a watchman had noticed smoke billowing out from the building and then alerted a nearby shopkeeper. The Fire department had then been informed. Police and the fire-fighters, along with the locals, had doused the flames after battling with them for over one hour.
“Every aspect of the incident is being investigated and the probe will reveal the exact cause of the fire,” said SDM, Nainital, Nawazish Khaliq. The SP, Nainital, Jagdish Chandra said that CCTV cameras of other establishments are also being examined to find the real trigger of the blaze.
