Over 50 makeshift road side shops, including a large number of vegetable shops and a few grocery shops, were gutted in a fire that broke out last night at Steel Gate area under Saraidhela police station about 5 km from district headquarters and continued till the wee hours of today.

Though no one was injured as the majority of shops were closed due to Holi, a rough estimate suggests that properties worth more than five lakh were gutted in the fire.

Dhanbad fire officer, Surendra Yadav said, “We received information about the incident at around 8 pm last night and immediately rushed to the spot with fire tenders and doused the fire after four hours at around 12.30 pm.

“Altogether five fire tenders of our station were used in the operation,” said Yadav.

“Though the exact cause of the fire will be known after detailed investigation, local residents informed us that several LPG cylinders stocked in two illegally operated LPG refilling shops operating in the market aggravated the fire. One is owned by Manoj Rawani and other by Mukesh Kumar Mallick,” said Yadav and added that around 16 LPG cylinders including 10 small cylinders of five liters and six large cylinders of 14 liters blasted in the fire.

“The exact estimate of losses caused in fire is yet to be made as the majority of the shopkeepers remained busy in collecting their remaining articles from the rubbles till the next morning but we have asked them to submit details” said Yadav.

Rajesh Keshri, a puja paraphernalia shop owner of Kunti Market, situated less than 100 meters from the site said, “My shop was also closed like every other shop. We received information around 8 pm last night over the phone about the fire and reached the site to find huge flames engulfing the adjoining shops.”

“The bursting of LPG cylinders invited the risk of fire being spread further throughout the market. We stood at the site till the fire was controlled,” said Keshri.

A large number of CISF personnels of adjoining CISF post of BCCL also helped in the fire fighting operation.

The gas cylinders recovered from the incident site. Gautam Dey

Crackdown on illegal LPG refilling shops after fire

Fire in the Steel gate vegetable market last night propelled the district administration to tighten the noose against the illegally operated LPG refilling stations dotting different market places of the district including the densely populated market places. This, amidst criticism of lack of administrative action by Dhanbad MLA Raj Sinha during inspection of the market site this morning.

Dhanbad Sub Divisional Officer, Surendra Prasad, who reached the accident site this morning said, “We launched an enquiry into the causes of fire and enquiry will look into details of the presence of LPG refilling shops in densely populated areas.”

Dhanbad MLA Raj Sinha accused the district administration of not being proactive about the incident of last night

He said, “No officer was present at the site even after 12 hours of the incident, while the SDO just reached this morning after being called by me.

"How the LPG refilling shops operated in the area need to be looked into,” he added.