Cloth store reduced to ash

Eluru: A cloth shop was gutted in a fire accident occurred at Devarapalli village in West Godavari district on Thursday afternoon. Clothes and furniture worth Rs.1 crore were burnt in the mishap.

According to the officials of forest department, a fire broke out in the afternoon time (1.00 pm) at Ramakrishna cloth stores owned by Pachipulusu Lakshmi Narayana. The fire accident took place at a time when the owner along with his family members and shop workers was away to attend a function.

The fire engulfed the shop and the adjoining residence in the first floor. Watching the smoke spilling out of the closed shop, shopkeepers in the vicinity closed their shutters and ran for safety. Noticing the emission of flames, local youth at once informed the fire officials about the accident and tried to douse fire by pouring water on it.

Before the fire tenders from Devarapalli and Nidadavole reached the spot, both the cloth stores and the residence of the owner turned into ashes. The fire department officials attributed the fire to short circuit.