Dhenkanal: As many as 12 houses and assets worth lakhs of rupees were gutted after a massive fire broke out at Asurabandha village under Bhuban police limits in Dhenkanal district Thursday night.
The fire broke out at a house in Misrasahi in the village late in the night while all the residents were asleep. Someone in the village raised alarm after witnessing smoke billowing out of the house following which locals swung into action and tried to douse the flames.
On being informed, fire tenders reached the spot and put out the fire.
However, valuable properties including furniture, electronic gadgets and important articles were reduced to ashes.
While exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, an electric short circuit is suspected behind the incident.