Dumka: Two adjoining shops located at Karnibag in Deoghar district were gutted early Sunday, in which goods worth around Rs 30 lakh were destroyed. No casualties or injuries were reported, police said.Preliminary investigation reveals that the blaze reportedly started at Shiv Shakti Store, a grocery-cum-stationery shop, and spread rapidly to Usha Traders, a hardware and plywood store, police added.“Prima facie, the fire appears to have been caused by short circuit. Investigation is under way to ascertain the cause,” Prashant Kumar, the officer in-charge of the Kunda police station, said.Area residents spotted smoke billowing from the shops around 4:30am and informed the owners. The fire department was alerted, but most goods in both shops had been destroyed by the time firefighters arrived and brought the flames under control. Residents also joined the firefighting efforts.Owner of Usha Traders Sanjay Kumar estimated his loss at Rs 15–17 lakh, while that of Shiv Shakti Store Rajesh Kumar Gop said almost his entire stock, valued at around the same amount, was reduced to ashes.
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