Bhubaneswar: A major fire erupted at a restaurant in the Satya Vihar area of Bhubaneswar today. Thick smoke was seen billowing out of the building. The cause of the fire was unknown.

Fire service personnel rushed to the spot and initiated efforts to bring the flames under control. The fire also spread to a nearby furniture shop, increasing the scale of the damage.

Firefighters managed to contain the blaze and prevented it from spreading to more establishments. No reports of casualties have emerged so far.

"We have doused the flames. The situation is under control. An investigation will be carried out to ascertain the cause of the fire. The mishap has caused major damage," a Fire Service official said.

According to Deputy Fire Officer Narayan Das, the fire is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit. The blaze spread quickly due to the absence of mandatory fire safety measures.

Das said that firefighters had to break into the building as smoke and flames had engulfed the top floor where the restaurant was located. The fire was brought under control after nearly an hour-long operation.

“There are no casualties in the incident. The business establishment did not have essential fire safety installations or a fire certificate. Necessary notices will be issued to the owners,” Das stated.

He further added that strict action would be taken against establishments operating without proper fire safety compliance.

The building also lacked adequate evacuation provisions and fire-fighting equipment, which could have worsened the situation if customers had been present in large numbers.

An investigation is underway to assess the extent of damage and determine the exact cause of the fire, he said.

(With IANS inputs)