Bihariganj, Madhepura: A massive fire, reportedly caused by a short circuit, engulfed 14 shops in the General Haat located in Ward No. 14 of Bihariganj Nagar Panchayat. The incident, which occurred late at night after shopkeepers had closed their establishments, resulted in property damage worth millions of rupees, causing significant financial losses to the affected traders.

According to local residents, a spark from one shop quickly escalated into a raging inferno, spreading rapidly to adjacent shops due to their close proximity. The sight of the escalating flames caused panic among the locals, who immediately alerted the fire department. Firefighters arrived promptly and, after considerable effort, managed to bring the blaze under control. Locals believe that the damage could have been far worse had the fire brigade not arrived in time.

The fire has severely impacted the livelihoods of numerous shopkeepers, including Shubham Das, Nandan Jha, Pintoo Swarnakar, Omprakash, Kisan Kumar, Shankar Gupta, Manish Gupta, Soni Gupta, Gaurav Goswami, Srikant Sah, Suraj Sah, Rupesh Sah, and Pappu Sah. Their shops and merchandise were completely destroyed.

Upon receiving news of the incident, Circle Officer Avinash Kumar, Station House Officer Lavkush Kumar, and Revenue Employee Kartik Kumar rushed to the scene. Officials assessed the damage and gathered information from the affected shopkeepers. The Circle Officer immediately provided plastic sheets and assured the victims that compensation would be disbursed to their bank accounts as per government provisions. A detailed assessment of the losses is currently underway.

The preliminary cause of the fire has been identified as a short circuit, raising concerns about electrical safety standards. The administration has urged the public to exercise caution regarding electrical safety measures. Shopkeepers are now awaiting government assistance to rebuild their businesses and resume their livelihoods.