Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Four shops selling prayer items were destroyed in a major fire outside the Kal Bhairav Temple in Ujjain early Tuesday morning.
Five fire engines reached the spot after receiving the alert and brought the fire under control after nearly an hour. No injuries were reported, but losses worth several lakhs of rupees are feared.
According to officials, the fire broke out in one shop at around 5 am and quickly spread to three nearby shops. Since the shops were filled with prayer items, the flames spread rapidly.
Videos of the incident have surfaced on social media, showing the shops engulfed in flames, thick smoke rising into the sky, firefighters battling the blaze, and large crowds gathering at the spot as panic spread in the area.
Watch the VIDEO below :
People living nearby tried to put out the fire before firefighters arrived, but the flames were too strong and soon engulfed all four shops.
Fire department teams worked continuously for about an hour to control the blaze. The fire had also reached a nearby tree, but firefighters managed to save it in time.
The Kal Bhairav Temple receives a large number of devotees every day. Fortunately, the fire broke out before the morning rush of visitors began, avoiding a possible major accident.
Fire official Ankit Rajput said the blaze has been completely brought under control. The exact cause of the fire is still unknown, and an investigation is underway.
Prayer items, shop goods and other materials were completely destroyed in the fire. Initial estimates suggest the shop owners suffered losses worth several lakhs of rupees, while the administration is assessing the total damage.
