SHILLONG: A suspected gas leak triggered a fire at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in Shillong on Tuesday morning, gutting a cafe, damaging a neighboring salon and causing extensive damage to the roof and ceiling of the shopping complex. The blaze, which broke out at around 11.40 a.m., caused an estimated property loss of ₹20 lakh, according to the police. No casualties were reported.
The fire originated in the kitchen of Mitaas Cafe, owned by Anuj Nandy, before spreading to other parts of the building. The incident left the cafe’s contents completely destroyed and damaged some belongings at a neighboring salon owned by Teibanbha Kharmon. The spread of the flames also affected the building’s roof and ceiling, extending the damage beyond the premises where the fire started.
“The fire incident that occurred in NEHU campus broke out at 11.40am in the shopping complex. The fire started from the kitchen of one cafe Mitaas Cafe owned by Anuj Nandy. Later it spread to other parts of the building,” East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said.
The cafe suffered the most extensive damage, with all its items destroyed in the blaze. “During the incident all item of the cafe are burnt,” Syiem said.
The neighboring salon sustained partial damage, while the roof and ceiling across the shopping complex were also affected. Police suspect that a gas leak from a cylinder in the cafe may have caused the fire, although the suspected cause has not been confirmed.
“The cause of fire is suspected to be due to the leak of gas from the cylinder in the restaurant. No casualty in the incident. Loss around Rs20 lakhs estimated,” Syiem said.
