SHIMLA: In a devastating fire, seven shops were gutted completely while some others were damaged partially at Lakkar Bazar here. The fire broke out around midnight due to short circuit in one of the shops and soon it spread over to other shops. Fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames. Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur visited the Lakkar Bazar and assured the affected shopkeepers of all possible assistance from the government.Located close to the historic Ridge, Lakkar Bazar is one of the oldest and busiest markets of the town. On receiving the information, seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames. Fire fighting operation started around midnight and continued till 8 am.Ankush Sood, a resident of Lakkar Bazar, informed the police that around midnight when he was outside his house, he saw flames in one of the shops, apparently caused by a short circuit in a service wire above the said shop. He said soon the flames spread to others shops too. Based on his statement, the police have registered a case and started the investigation.Jai Ram, along with education minister Suresh Bhardwaj and senior officers of the state government, visited Lakkar Bazar on Tuesday to take stock of the damage caused by the fire. He assured the affected shopkeepers that the government would provide all possible assistance to them for starting their business. He further said to ensure that such fire incidents did not occur in future, the electricity department would be directed to ensure proper upkeep and maintenance of transmission lines. He said promptness of fire personnel saved many shops.Meanwhile, the district administration has announced Rs 10,000 as immediate relief to each of the affected shopkeepers.

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