A massive fire ripped through a prominent banana warehouse at Fandi Chack late Tuesday night, destroying property estimated at over ₹5 lakh. The facility, owned by Mahendra Parida under Sahadevakhunta police jurisdiction, was engulfed in flames within minutes.
The rapid inferno decimated a vast stock of bananas and coconuts, along with critical infrastructure including inverters and CCTV systems. Responding to the emergency, the Balasore fire brigade launched a high-stakes operation, successfully containing the blaze before it could leap to adjacent commercial shops.
While a formal investigation is underway, officials suspect a short circuit sparked the late-night disaster.
No casualties were reported, but the financial blow to the local trader is significant. This incident has once again highlighted the urgent need for enhanced fire safety protocols in the city's congested market zones.