Puri, Jan 11: A major fire broke out near Sadar Police Station Square on VIP Road in Puri, causing extensive damage to police-seized vehicles, a source said on Sunday.

More than 20 motorcycles that had been seized by police were completely gutted in the blaze. No injuries or casualties were reported.

Fire services personnel rushed to the spot soon after receiving information about the incident. Two fire tenders were deployed, and firefighters worked for a considerable period to bring the flames under control. Although the fire was eventually contained, smoke continued to billow from the site for some time, indicating lingering heat and smouldering debris.

According to the source, the motorcycles had been kept at the location after being seized by police in connection with various cases. The fire caused significant material loss, destroying the vehicles beyond repair.

Authorities cordoned off the area during the firefighting operation to prevent any untoward incident, as the location is situated along a busy stretch of VIP Road that usually witnesses significant pedestrian and vehicular movement.

However, police sources said there is a liquor shop located close to the incident site. According to officials, there is a possibility that someone may have been consuming alcohol in the area and discarded a lit cigarette, which could have triggered the fire. Officials emphasised that this remains a preliminary suspicion and has not been confirmed.

Fire department officials said the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

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The presence of continuous public movement in the area had initially raised concerns about safety, but timely intervention by the fire services prevented the fire from spreading to nearby establishments. Officials reiterated that no damage was reported to surrounding buildings or shops.