Rayagada, Feb 11: An electric scooter was gutted in a late-night fire incident near Durga Mandir at Pitamahal village in Odisha's Rayagada district, our source from the ground informed on Wednesday.

According to the source, the battery-operated scooter belonging to Subash Chandra Biswal suddenly caught fire at around 1 am while it was parked inside his house. The blaze reportedly triggered a loud explosion-like sound, alerting the family members who were asleep at the time.

Scooter Not on Charging, Says Owner
Biswal said he had purchased the EV scooter around 15 days ago for his wife. “I bought the vehicle for Rs 1.29 lakh, out of which Rs 6,000 were spent on accessories. It was parked inside the house last night and was not on charging,” he said.

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“I woke up after hearing loud noises like cracker bursts at around 1 am. When I stepped out of my bedroom, I saw the scooter in flames. I immediately informed the Fire Services department. They arrived and doused the fire. They also video-recorded the entire scene,” he added.

Household Items Worth Thousands Destroyed
The fire also damaged household articles kept nearby. Biswal claimed that along with the scooter, a washing machine worth Rs 30,000, two fans, a geyser, a tubelight, a door, plastic chairs and other items were completely destroyed in the blaze.

On being informed, the Fire Services personnel reached the spot and brought the fire under control. No casualties were reported in the incident.

The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.