15 shops gutted in fire; two gas cylinders explode

As many as 15 shops were gutted after fire broke out today in one of the tin sheds in Jagtial here, triggering two cylinder explosions, police said.
The incident took place in the wee hours when the tin shed of a small vendor Satyanarayana caught fire. As the flames engulfed other abutting sheds in the area, there were two gas cylinder explosions raging the blaze, said Jagtial Deputy Superintendent of Police, M Rajendra Prasad.
Fire tenders from Jagtial and Mancherial towns were rushed to the spot to contain the blaze, he said.
However, there were no casualties in the mishap.

Officials suspect short-circuit as the cause of fire although the exact reason is yet to be ascertained.
Meanwhile, victim vendors alleged that supporters of Gram Panchayat, with whom they were locked in a dispute over regularisation of the shops, might be behind the accident.