Fire Breaks Out at Scrap Market in Latur, Four to Five Shops Destroyed

A fire broke out at a scrap market in Maharashtra's Latur district on Monday afternoon, destroying four to five shops, officials said. No casualties have been reported so far.

The blaze erupted at around 2 pm and quickly spread through a section of the market, triggering panic among people in the area. Thick plumes of smoke were seen rising from the site as flames engulfed the shops.

According to officials, the market has a row of around 20 shops, of which four to five were affected by the fire.

A firefighting team was immediately dispatched to the spot after authorities received information about the blaze.

"As soon as we received information, a firefighting team was sent to the spot. The exact cause of the fire was not immediately known," fire officer Ganesh Choudhary said.

Firefighters were working to bring the blaze under control and prevent it from spreading to other shops in the market.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, officials said. The extent of damage was also not immediately clear.

Officials said an assessment of the losses would be carried out after the fire was brought under control.

The incident caused concern in the area as the flames spread rapidly through the scrap market, where combustible material may have contributed to the intensity of the blaze.

Police and other local authorities were also monitoring the situation, while firefighting personnel continued efforts to contain the fire.

Further details regarding the cause of the incident and the extent of property damage are awaited.

No injuries or deaths have been reported in connection with the fire so far, officials said.