A massive fire that broke out in the early hours of Friday in AR Tower near Hamraj Market in Bansmandi, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh has now been brought under control after nearly seven hours. Around 16 fire tenders had reached the spot to douse the fire. The fire engulfed the AR Tower and spread to the nearby buildings present inside Masood Complex.
In a video shared by ANI, the blaze can be seen spreading across a large area, with thick black smoke emitting from the fire.
According to the new agency, the Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) Kanpur City, Anand Prakash Tiwari said; "The firefighters were working for six hours to douse the fire but it would take another 3 to 4 hours to control the fire."
Deputy director of the UP Fire Department, Ajay Kumar told ANI that the fire was under control now. "No person trapped in the building," he added.
Earlier, he said, "Efforts are still being made to extinguish the fire, for which hydraulic fire tenders are being taken from Lucknow along with army vehicles and fire tenders have also been sought from the surrounding districts of the city".
The fire broke out around 3 am in Hamraj Market, the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, but it is suspected that it may have been caused by a short circuit.
“An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the incident”, the official told ANI.