Over 100 shops gutted in Bodh Gaya market fire

GAYA: Around 100 shops were gutted in the fire at the vegetable market in Bodh Gaya on Tuesday. The vegetable market is just around 500 metres from the world heritage Mahabodhi Mahavihara. Five LPG cylinders kept in the nearby shops also exploded, thereby aggravating the intensity of fire.
DM Thiyagarajan SM has asked the officials to assess the damage caused by the fire to help the affected shopowners.
Gaya Sadar SDO Indraveer Kumar said, "Locals said fire spread from the garbage burnt by someone. At least five LPG cylinders kept in the nearby fast food kiosks also exploded."
The market has shops of green vegetables, fast food, juice corners, tea and snacks automobile repairing. The raw materials used to build the huts caught fire and the flames spread at a very rapid speed, said Md Tazo, who has two-wheeler repairing shop.
The sanitation staff of Bodh Gaya Nagar Parishad have been on strike for the last six days for increase in their daily wages. Due to this, heaps of garbage are accumulated at many places in the heritage city.
Five fire tenders were called from Gaya, in addition to four small ones to dodge the fire.