SHILLONG: A massive fire completely gutted a tent house warehouse and damaged an adjacent building at Demseiniong in Shillong today, causing property damage estimated at around ₹2 crore.
No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident.
According to officials, the blaze broke out between 2:00 pm and 2:30 pm at a warehouse belonging to Rajesh Syiem, which stored event and catering equipment including plywood, chairs, tarpaulins, bamboo, and various decorative materials.
All items inside the godown were completely destroyed, and the flames also spread to a neighbouring structure.
Firefighters battled the inferno for over three hours to bring it under control and prevent it from spreading to nearby residential houses.
Over 10 fire tenders and around five water tankers were pressed into service.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police (SP) Vivek Syiem stated that six fire tenders from the Meghalaya State Police Fire Service were joined by reinforcements from the Border Security Force (BSF), Assam Rifles, and the Indian Air Force.
Warehouse owner Rajesh Syiem said the fire broke out suddenly and rapidly engulfed the premises, leaving no chance to salvage the goods.
He noted that while fire tenders arrived around 3:00 pm—facing slight delays due to afternoon school-closing traffic—personnel worked tirelessly to contain the blaze.
Expressing gratitude that no lives were lost, he added that tenants residing in an adjacent four-storey building were safely evacuated as soon as the fire was detected.
SP Vivek Syiem noted that upon reaching the spot, emergency teams prioritised clearing parked vehicles to ensure smooth passage for fire tenders, evacuating residents from surrounding homes, and removing cooking gas cylinders to prevent explosions and further spread of the fire.
While the exact cause of the blaze is yet to be ascertained, preliminary assessments following discussions with the owner point toward a possible electrical short circuit.
Police have initiated an investigation into the incident.
(4FrontMedia news)
