Udupi: A major fire broke out in a commercial building near the City Bus Stand in Udupi, Karnataka, on Sunday evening, rapidly engulfing the entire structure and destroying several shops.
According to reports, the fire is believed to have originated around 5:20 pm in a mobile shop located on the ground floor of the Khader Commercial Building, allegedly due to a short circuit. Within minutes, the flames spread across the building.

Mobile and hardware shops housed in the building were severely affected, with goods worth lakhs of rupees completely gutted in the blaze.

The building is located in a busy commercial area of the city, and several shops were open at the time of the incident. However, no casualties have been reported.

Eyewitnesses said panic gripped the area as the fire spread, drawing a large crowd to the spot. Some locals attempted to douse the flames by climbing nearby buildings and pouring water, but their efforts proved futile due to the intensity of the fire.

Initially, a fire tanker was deployed, but as the blaze intensified, additional fire tenders were rushed to the scene. Fire and Emergency Services personnel from Udupi, Malpe, Padubidri, and Kundapur joined the operation. According to reports, the fire was not fully brought under control until around 8 pm, after several hours of intense firefighting efforts.

Questions Raised Over Delay in Fire Response
Local residents and shop owners expressed strong dissatisfaction over the delayed response of the fire department. It is reported that the fire station is located barely two kilometres from the site, yet fire tenders reportedly arrived only after about 30 minutes, by which time the fire had spread extensively.

Residents alleged that timely intervention could have significantly reduced the damage, while some pointed to a lack of adequate infrastructure and preparedness in the fire services as a reason for the delay.

Precautionary Measures and Ongoing Investigation
Shop owners in nearby buildings took precautionary steps by shifting their goods to safer locations, preventing further losses.

Meanwhile, authorities have launched an investigation into the exact cause of the fire. Though a short circuit is suspected to have triggered the incident, officials are yet to confirm the cause.
Assessment of the total damage is underway, and the incident has once again raised serious concerns over fire safety preparedness in the city.