Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Dec 13: A grocery store was gutted in a fire incident at Kuppepadav, causing extensive damage to goods, in an incident reported around midnight on Wednesday.

The fire broke out at around 12 midnight at the grocery store owned by Raheeda of Kulavoor, located in a commercial building at Kuppepadav. The building also houses residential units. Some residents, who were returning home after attending a programme, noticed the fire in the shop and alerted locals. They attempted to douse the flames and also informed the fire and emergency services.

Before the fire brigade could arrive at the spot, locals joined hands and, after strenuous efforts, managed to bring the fire under control. It is said that the fire was caused due to a short circuit in a chocolate display fridge.

Raheeda earns her livelihood by running a grocery store named ‘Star General Store’. However, due to the fire, most of the items in the shop were completely destroyed, resulting in losses estimated at over Rs 6 lac. Had the fire not been brought under control in time, there was a high possibility of the flames spreading to other shops in the commercial complex and to the residential units on the upper floors, potentially leading to a major mishap.