Panaji (Goa): A day after a portion of Kadamba Bus Terminus was set ablaze leading to huge damage to Regional Transport Office and a supermarket; majority shops preferred to remain shut today as the power supply has been discontinued until repair works are complete. 

“The Electricity Department was asked to discontinue power supply to the establishments at KTC terminus till the repairs are carried out, because we cannot rule out the possible of another fire incident,” a senior fire officer said. 

Thousands of documents at the RTO and KTC branch offices were destroyed in the massive fire that broke out in the early morning hours of Monday. The records, which were not digitized have been lost while efforts are made to retrieve the ones fed into the systems.

The Presidential supermarket from where the fire originated has been totally gutted with fire officials claiming it did not have the require fire safety measures in place. The lose wires in the terminus added to the woes forcing the Fire Department to ensure power supply is disconnected till things are in place. 

As such, several commercial shops have remained closed even as the government authorities have installed a generator. “I have come here to take a stock of the situation. My shop is closed today,” said a mini-handloom centre lessee. 

The fire fighters, who battled the fire and the thick smoke for over four hours on Monday, continued to camp at the site to ensure safety. 

It has surfaced that none of the government offices or commercial establishments except for a canteen, had fire protection measures in place. 

The fire officials are conducting an audit of the area wherein lapses by the tenants and recommendations will be submitted to the government. 

Team TNV