A devastating fire has gutted several shops in the heritage market in Kasauli town on Monday, with fire and emergency services struggling to control the blaze.
As per eyewitnesses, the fire, which was triggered by a blast in an LPG cylinder in one of the shops, spread quickly to neighbouring shops, consuming a large portion of the iconic market.
Nearby establishments were also caught in the fire. Efforts to douse the flames were underway, officials said.
Preliminary information suggests that three restaurants and a chemist shop suffered massive damage.
Officials said the situation got out of control when the fire triggered multiple explosions in stored LPG cylinders, making the situation even worse.
Fire tenders have been rushed from nearby stations, including Parwanoo, to assist in firefighting operations as the fire raged across the market.
Business and shop owners quickly rushed to the spot to douse the flames and save their goods from the raging fire.
However, the delay in fire tenders arriving at the scene destroyed the inventory and holdings.
Layers of thick black smoke were seen rising in the sky from a distance, as the blaze and situation still remained out of control on early Monday morning.
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