KHOWAI, June 20 (TIWN): A devastating fire broke out at Bidyabil Bazar here on Friday burning down fifteen shops.

According to eye witnesses, the fire broke out at around 9 PM in the evening when the market was going to close down. Though the exact cause of the fire could not be ascertained, eye witnesses claimed that the fire started from a tea shop and engulfed another fourteen shops surrounding it. The shops were completely destroyed in the fire as the fire tenders were late in reaching the place from Khowai Town. Two fire Service tankers took nearly thirty minutes to douse the fire.

The shop owners claimed that goods worth Rs. 3 lakhs were gutted in the devastating fire. The poor and small shop owners claimed that the long 18 km distance of Khowai town from Bidyabil cost them dearly as the fire tenders took nearly half an hour to reach the place from Khowai.

No human casualty was reported from the fire scene.