Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, Dec 18: In the wake of a complete shutdown in Katra, several shops in the Charan Paduka area were engulfed in flames, likely due to an accidental fire today.
Firefighters responded quickly to the incident, successfully extinguishing the fire and preventing it from spreading further; however, three shops were completely destroyed.
Fortunately, there have been no reports of casualties or injuries. The fire occurred during a shutdown called by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti in protest against the proposed ropeway project, which led to all shops in the vicinity being closed.
An electrical short circuit is suspected to be the cause of the fire, and the police are currently investigating the situation. The exact extent of property and goods lost in the fire is still being determined.
