A fire broke out in shops in TT Nagar police station area in the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. The policemen patrolling there first saw the fire and informed the fire control room of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation. After which fire fighter vehicles were sent to the spot. The fire was extinguished in about two hours, but by then all the goods kept in the shops were burnt to ashes. Corporation’s Fire Officer Rameshwar Neel said that the information about fire in the control room was given by TT Nagar Police Station staff at around 2.51 am. After this, one browser, three fire fighters and three water tankers were sent from Mata Mandir, Fatehgarh and Pul Bogda Bridge. Then the fire engulfed seven shops. As soon as the information was received, shopkeepers also reached the spot with their family members. But due to the huge fire, it took about two hours to extinguish it.

 

The fire was completely extinguished by 5 in the morning of Monday. Blazing inferno destroyed at least seven business establishments, including two groceries, a mechanic shop, a mobile repair, mponline kiosk and a flour mill, were on fire near Hanuman Mandir, Jawahar Chowk area. But since the shutter was old, there was difficulty in breaking it. In such a situation, a rope was tied to the shutter and then it was tied to the fire engine and it was broken. After which the fire was extinguished.

 

Eyewitnesses said that the fire first started due to short circuit in the nearby electric pole. Within some time the fire spread inside the shops. Due to there being a mechanic shop nearby, oil and petrol was spread outside the shops. This caused the fire to flare up further. There was a delay in extinguishing it because it was located in a nearby oil shop. Rakesh Gupta, President of Adarsh Jawahar Chowk Traders Association, said that traders have suffered huge losses due to the inferno. The district administration should immediately conduct a survey and give appropriate compensation to the shopkeepers. These shopkeepers had invested their entire lives in business, but everything was ruined due to arson.