Tripura, Dec 5: A devastating fire late Thursday night reduced nearly eight shops to ashes in the busy Panisagar market, triggering widespread panic across the area.
According to eyewitnesses, around 10:45 pm, flames were first spotted inside a closed shop near the Netaji statue along the National Highway. Within moments, locals rushed out of their homes and alerted the Panisagar Fire Service.
Two fire engines from Panisagar reached the spot immediately, but as the blaze intensified, additional fire tenders from Dharmanagar and Pecharthal were deployed. With four fire engines and the support of local residents, firefighters battled the flames for nearly one hour before bringing the situation under control.
The destroyed shops included utensil stores, footwear shops, a tailoring shop, an electrical goods outlet, and a utensil warehouse. Local businessmen estimate the total loss to be around ₹2.5 crore.
Shop owner Ananta Das shared his account of the incident:
“At around 10:40 pm, I received a call that a fire had broken out in the market and my shop was burning. When I reached, thousands of people had gathered and fire brigades were trying to control the blaze. No one knows how the fire started,” he said.
“Around seven to eight shops were completely burned down. We estimate losses of over ₹2.5 crore. My shop was partially damaged, but local traders and residents helped me break the lock and shift goods to a safer place. I am grateful to everyone — the fire brigade and the people of Panisagar — for their support during this crisis.”
Fire officials are yet to determine the exact cause of the blaze. The incident has left the business community in shock, with heavy financial losses reported across the affected units.
Authorities are expected to assess the damage formally on Friday.
