Major fire at shop near 'No Man's Land' of India-Nepal border

Gorakhpur (UP), May 30 (PTI) A major fire broke out at a shop near the ‘No Man’s Land’ area of the India-Nepal border in Sonauli on Saturday morning, destroying goods worth several lakhs, police said.

Prompt intervention by Indian and Nepali fire services helped prevent the blaze from spreading to nearby establishments, the police said.

According to officials, the incident occurred around 9 am, when a shop owner Vinod Kumar was heating oil to prepare chips. The oil reportedly got overheated and caught fire, which quickly spread through the shop and engulfed it within minutes.

Thick smoke and towering flames caused panic among traders, commuters and residents in the area.

On receiving information, the police, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and other

security agencies rushed to the spot and launched evacuation measures, the police said.

Fire tenders from both India and Nepal carried out a joint firefighting operation. After sustained efforts, the blaze was brought under control, preventing damage to adjoining shops and commercial establishments, the police said.

The officials said no casualties were reported as security personnel promptly shifted people to safer locations. However, a large quantity of goods stored inside the shop was completely gutted in the fire.

Sonauli police Station Officer Mahendra Mishra said that the fire broke out on the Indian side, almost 50 metres from the ‘No Man’s Land’ on the India-Nepal border, and has been fully extinguished and the situation is under control.

As a precautionary measure, SSB personnel suspended movement on the main road near the border for nearly half-an-hour due to dense smoke and intense flames. Traffic was restored after the fire was contained and the area was declared safe. PTI COR NAV KSS KSS