HT Correspondent
KHERONI, Feb 4: A devastating midnight fire gutted a large portion of Navaibil Bazar in the Mailoo area of West Karbi Anglong, leaving local traders financially ruined. The blaze, which broke out in the early hours of Wednesday, destroyed at least 17 business establishments, with preliminary estimates of losses running into several lakhs of rupees.
According to local sources, the fire spread rapidly through the commercial hub. What reportedly began as a small, localised spark soon turned into an uncontrollable inferno, fuelled by highly combustible materials stored inside the market’s shops. Several grocery and stationery stores, garment shops, well-stocked bookstores and eateries were reduced to ashes. A number of small hotels and tea stalls were also destroyed in the blaze.
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Apart from damage to structures and merchandise, many shop owners reported losing substantial amounts of hard cash, including daily earnings that had been kept inside the shops and were completely destroyed in the fire.
The incident has triggered strong resentment among traders over what they allege was a delayed emergency response. Dhanpal Chauhan, a local trader who narrowly escaped losses, described the incident as traumatic. He said the fire was first noticed around 1 am after a nearby resident woke up and raised an alarm.
He and other eyewitnesses accused the fire department of arriving nearly two hours late. By the time fire tenders reached the spot and began operations, most of the wooden and tin-roofed structures had already been reduced to ashes, leaving little scope for salvaging property beyond preventing the fire from spreading further.
The exact cause of the fire remains unclear and is currently a subject of intense speculation.
The affected traders, many of whom have lost their only source of livelihood, have appealed to the West Karbi Anglong district administration for immediate relief. They have demanded a transparent investigation into the cause of the fire, urgent financial compensation for the 17 affected families and assistance in rebuilding the market infrastructure at the earliest.
