Kapurthala, Dec 24: A fire tore through a storage facility of the Jammu-Katra Expressway construction project near Khijarpur village in Kapurthala district on Tuesday night, destroying chemicals and equipment and causing losses estimated at around Rs 2 crore, police said.
Fire brigade teams rushed to the site in the Talwandi Chaudhrian area and brought the blaze under control, with assistance from local police personnel.
An inquiry has been launched to determine the cause of the fire, investigating officer ASI Balbir Singh said. “We are verifying all aspects, and further action will be taken based on the findings,” he said.
Mandeep Singh, store manager of SP Singla Construction Company, which is executing the project, said the store had been shut for the day at around 7 p.m.
“All lights were switched off and a security guard was on duty,” Singh said. “Around 8 p.m., the guard noticed smoke coming out of the store and immediately informed me.”
By the time he reached the site, the fire had spread quickly, he said, adding that chemicals stored inside were completely destroyed.
Singh said a short circuit was suspected to have triggered the blaze. Police said the exact cause would be confirmed after the inquiry.
