Some six shops near a municipality office in Kasdol town caught fire around 3 am, Balodabazar Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar Jha said. After being alerted, police and fire personnel rushed to the spot in the town, located around 90 km from the state capital Raipur.
While they were trying to douse the blaze, a cylinder kept in one of the gas welding shops exploded, due to which constable Jeevan Patle's one finger got severed, and he suffered severe injuries to his jaw, the official said. Two firemen also received injuries in the blast, he said. The injured constable was immediately referred to a private hospital in Raipur for better treatment. The official said the two firemen were admitted to a health center in Kasdol, and their condition was reported to be stable.
The fire in the shops was extinguished by other personnel after hectic efforts for about three hours, he said. The exact cause of the fire is not yet known, he added.
