Byrnihat: A massive fire gutted two truck workshops along with spare parts and around 20 residential rooms at 13th Mile, Byrnihat in Ri-Bhoi district on Thursday morning, causing losses estimated to run into several lakhs of rupees.
The fire broke out at around 11 AM, when the owners of the workshops and several occupants of the residential rooms were reportedly away attending Puja celebrations.
According to the workshop owners, the blaze is suspected to have started following an electrical fault in one of the rooms. The flames spread rapidly through the premises, destroying belongings, workshop equipment, truck-related materials and spare parts before the occupants could save them.
Fire and Emergency Services personnel from Byrnihat, assisted by firefighters from the neighbouring Assam side, rushed to the spot and managed to bring the blaze under control.
Their intervention prevented the fire from spreading to nearby shops and, importantly, a petrol pump located in front of the affected premises, averting the possibility of a much larger incident.
