Rice worth a few lakhs was gutted in the third house of FCI godown at Hirakud early on Saturday morning. Fire-fighters brought the fire control thus preventing it from spreading to other godowns. Though the exact reason behind the fire is yet to be ascertained, officials suspect it to be a short circuit.
“We rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control with the help of fire personnel from Burla. We are yet to ascertain the reason for the fire,” a senior police official of the district said. The FCI godown at Hirakud is one of the important storage places for PDS rice. There are separate houses to store rice meant for different purposes.
The fire came to light when the watchman noticed heavy fumes emanating from the godown. He informed the senior officials. Police and fire personnel rushed to the spot soon after receiving the news.
