Massive Fire Breaks Out in Two-Storey Business Building in Bhadrak’s Chandbali

Massive Fire Breaks Out in Two-Storey Business Building in Bhadrak’s Chandbali

CNB Word Times

Bhadrak, Oct 27: A terrible fire broke out in the two-storey building of a well-established businessman, Ruliram Agarwal, near Chandbali Bazaar Hatpatti in Bhadrak district. Within a short time, huge clouds of smoke engulfed the area**, creating panic among local residents.

According to sources, the fire started suddenly in the godown of Agarwal’s shop. Without anybody’s notice, a tiny spark turned into a massive blaze, ringing alarm bells across the town. Property worth lakhs of rupees has already been reduced to ashes, and the fire continues to spread to nearby areas.

The intensity of the fire  was so high that apart from the Chandbali Fire Brigade, fire tenders from Chandbali, Gadi, Rajkanika, and Dhamara were called in to control the flames. Five fire brigades in total are currently engaged in the operation. Chandbali Tahsildar Bhabatosh Mallick and the Chandbali IIC, Paresh Mohanty are personally present at the spot, coordinating efforts and monitoring the situation.

Tahsildar Mallick informed that the chemicals and other materials stored in the building were highly inflammable and started burning again even after being doused by the fire personnel. A foam fire extinguisher from Dhamara Port was also used to control the blaze.

As the incident occurred during the Festival Evening of Famous Kali Puja Fair , thousands of people gathered near the spot out of curiosity. This led to major challenges in managing both the crowd and traffic, making the task harder for the police and fire officials.

Eyewitnesses claimed they heard blast-like sounds, which might have come from gas cylinders stored inside the building. However, the exact cause of the fire is yet to be confirmed.

Local residents have raised serious questions against the administration, asking how such a huge stock of inflammable materials was kept without notice. They also questioned whether regular checking of safety measures and stock inspections are conducted by local authorities. Concerns were also expressed over how many gas cylinders were stored in the building and whether it complied with domestic storage laws.

Even though five fire brigades have been working continuously, smoke continues to rise, indicating that the fire is not fully under control. Officials believe it will require an overnight operation and possibly more support from nearby fire stations.

As this is one of the oldest buildings in Chandbali town, people have demanded an official inquiry by the Chandbali Notified Area Council to ensure whether the building met the government’s safety and commercial usage guidelines.

This devastating fire once again raises serious concerns about fire safety preparedness, storage of hazardous materials, and administrative monitoring in commercial areas of Odisha.