Bolangir: Properties worth crores were reduced to ashes in a massive fire at a cotton factory in Kapani village under Belpana in Bolangir district Tuesday.
Four units of fire tenders from Belpada and Patnagarh were pressed into service to douse the flames. The exact reason for the fire is yet to be known, but it is suspected that short-circuit might be the cause. Packing materials, raw cotton, cotton seeds and other equipments stocked inside the mill were reduced to ashes.
The fire occurred Monday night while employees of the cotton mill were fast asleep. Before they could come to their senses, the fire spread rapidly and engulfed the entire mill in a matter of seconds.
The intensity of the fire was such that it took hours for fire brigade to douse the flames. The estimated loss of properties is in crores, the owner of the cotton mill, Adarsh Agarwal, claimed.