Short circuit triggers fire at cloth trader’s house, no casualties

Kanpur: A major fire broke out late on Saturday night at the residence of a cloth trader in Chakeri police station area, triggering panic among residents of Satbari Road near Yadav Chauraha.

Firefighters, however, brought the blaze under control within 45 minutes, preventing it from spreading to nearby shops and houses.According to cloth trader Himanshu Yadav, the fire started due to a suspected short circuit in the electrical wiring of a first-floor room. The flames quickly spread to goods stored inside the room, causing extensive damage to household belongings, furniture and other valuables.Family members managed to evacuate safely before the fire intensified.

On noticing flames and thick smoke billowing from the house, local residents alerted the fire department.Two fire tenders from Jajmau Fire Station rushed to the spot and launched firefighting operations. After strenuous efforts, firefighters succeeded in controlling the blaze.Fire officer Rahul Nandan said information about the incident was received through the control room, following which a team was immediately dispatched.

Initial investigations suggest a short circuit as the likely cause of the fire.He added that around half a dozen shops located beneath and adjacent to the house were closed at the time of the incident. Had there been any delay in controlling the blaze, the fire could have spread to the shops and neighbouring houses, worsening the situation.No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident.