A fire that broke out in the Gazole block of Malda engulfed at least eight shops in the small hours of Thursday.

Three fire engines took around five hours to extinguish the blaze.

Sources said that around 12.15am, a fire broke out in a shop located off the road, between Bidrohi More and Kodubari More.

As timber was stocked inside the shop, the blaze grew and spread to nearby shops of wooden furniture.

Residents claimed that a portion of the power substation in the area also got partially damaged. Officials of the power department, however, claimed that the property was not damaged in the fire.

A police team led by Chandrasekhar Ghoshal, the inspector-in-charge of the Gazole police station, and three fire tenders from Malda arrived in the area. Firemen took the task to control the blaze and were able to douse it at around 5am.

“We suspect the fire was caused by an electrical short-circuit. We managed to douse the flames before it could cause any major damage to the sub-station,” said a fire official.

Representatives of the local business community said goods worth around Rs 50 lakh are suspected to be gutted in the fire. The traders have demanded compensation from the state for their loss.

Gazole residents demanded a fire station in the block. The nearest fire station in Malda town is some 30km away.