A blaze erupted on Sunday at a shop in the Gopalbagh area on the outskirts of Uttar Pradesh's Mathura city, eventually spreading to six neighboring shops, all of which were engaged in the sale of firecrackers. The incident resulted in injuries to nine individuals, according to a statement from a local police official.
Raya police station SHO Ajay Kishor reported, "Seven shops specialising in the sale of firecrackers in the Gopalbagh area caught fire, and nine people suffered burn injuries. Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire may have been triggered by an electrical short circuit."
In the incident, fireman Chandrashekhar, who was deployed at the market, was injured while trying to stop the fire from spreading further to about six other shops and saving people, the officials said.
"Seven shops bore the maximum damage. Their owners were injured while they were trying to save their goods from the fire. Fireman Chandrashekhar suffered burn injuries while saving others.
Besides them, another person was also injured," Singh said.
Notably, these seven shops possessed valid permits to sell firecrackers, highlighting the regulated nature of their operations. The injured individuals are currently receiving medical attention, while authorities are actively working to ascertain the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damages incurred.
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