MAPUSA
Four cottages were gutted in a fire at a sealed guest house in Anjuna in the wee hours of Friday, destroying property estimated at Rs 10 lakh.
According to reports, the incident took place at about 2 am at the guest house, which had been sealed by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority three years ago as per a high court order for construction in violation of the CRZ. Since then, the site has been sealed and unused.
Local residents noticed thick smoke and flames emanating from the property and immediately alerted the Fire and Emergency Services.
Firefighters rushed to the spot and, with assistance from the police and local residents, battled the flames and brought the fire under control. The four cottages were completely destroyed in the blaze.
No casualties were reported as the premises were closed at the time of the incident.
A short circuit is suspected to have triggered the fire, although the exact cause is yet to be established. Fire officials are expected to ascertain the cause of the blaze and assess the extent of the damage.
