Cuttack: A major fire broke out at the fish market near Press Chhak in Odisha's Cuttack during the early hours of Monday, reducing the entire market to ashes and causing extensive damage to a nearby bank. The blaze also spread to adjoining buildings.

According to preliminary reports, the fire broke out around 2:30 am at the fish market and quickly engulfed the warehouse and surrounding establishments. Thick plumes of smoke made firefighting operations difficult, forcing fire services personnel to use oxygen masks while entering the affected premises.

The fire spread to the branch of the Bank of India located on the upper floor of the building. The bank suffered significant damage, with furniture and other assets believed to have been destroyed in the blaze.

Firefighters deployed multiple fire tenders to control the inferno. A robotic firefighting vehicle from Bhubaneswar was also brought in to assist in the operation.

Authorities suspect that an electrical short circuit may have triggered the fire, though the exact cause will be confirmed after a detailed investigation.

The presence of a paint warehouse in an adjoining building reportedly accelerated the spread of the flames, making it challenging for fire services personnel to bring the situation under control.

The incident is estimated to have caused losses exceeding Rs 50 lakh. Fish traders claimed that cash worth Rs 50 lakh to Rs 60 lakh was destroyed in the fire. Since banks were closed on Sunday, many traders had reportedly kept the previous day's earnings with them and were planning to deposit the money on Monday.

Deep freezers, furniture, stock and other business assets were completely destroyed, leaving several traders devastated.

Firefighting operations continued for several hours as teams battled the flames amid dense smoke. No casualties had been reported at the time of filing this report. Authorities are assessing the extent of the damage and investigating the cause of the fire.