A major fire broke out at the daily market in Doomdooma town, Tinsukia district, on Sunday morning, destroying seven shops and causing damage estimated at several lakhs of rupees. Officials confirmed no casualties in the incident.
Fire Starts from Puja Shop
According to local residents, the fire originated around 6:15 am on the upper floor of a shop owned by Prabhu Choudhury, which sold puja items. Residents alleged that a large quantity of firecrackers was stored illegally in the shop's godown without necessary permits, and the fire may have started from this stockpile.
“We heard loud blasts, one after another, like bombs going off. Within minutes, the entire upper floor was engulfed in flames. By the time we could even think of saving our goods, the fire had already spread to our shops,” said a vendor.
Explosions and Panic
The explosions sent thick black smoke billowing over the market area, sparking panic among shopkeepers and residents. Many rushed to salvage belongings before the flames spread further.
Fire and Emergency Services teams arrived with five fire tenders and battled the blaze for nearly four and a half hours before bringing it under control.
“The fire spread rapidly due to combustible materials in the godown. Our priority was to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the market. We managed to contain it,” said a fire department official.
MLA Visits Site
Doomdooma MLA Rupesh Gowala visited the site to assess damage and spoke with affected shopkeepers. Authorities said a detailed loss assessment is underway, and an investigation has been initiated to determine the fire's cause.
The fire at the daily market caused damage estimated to run into lakhs of rupees.
