Bhubaneswar: A garment shop owner was killed on Friday when a fire broke out in his store at Raja Bazaar in Jatni. The 37-year-old victim was taking his afternoon nap in his two-storied establishment when it was engulfed in flames. The shop was closed for the Kartika Purnima festival, which initially delayed the discovery of the fire.
The victim was identified as Suryakanta Mohapatra, locally known as Bulu.
Jatni police station inspector in-charge Soumyakanta Baliarsingh, who responded immediately after receiving information from a local resident, led the rescue operation. “Along with some locals, we managed to force open the shop’s shutters and rescue Mohapatra,” Baliarsingh said. But the trader died on the way to hospital.
According to police reports, the fire originated on the ground floor before spreading to the second story, where Mohapatra was resting. “Both floors were stocked with dresses and various types of clothing, which likely accelerated the fire’s spread. The victim appears to have been overcome by smoke and heat while sleeping.”
Fire services personnel arrived at the scene and contained the blaze, preventing it from spreading to neighbouring establishments. While the exact cause remains under investigation, locals claimed that an electrical short circuit may have triggered the incident.
The fire resulted in the destruction of garments worth several lakhs of rupees.