Four shops gutted

KALPETTA: Four shops were gutted in a fire that broke out near the Traffic Junction in Sulthan Bathery town early on Monday. There were no casualties.



Three shops opposite the panchayat bus stand and one shop opposite the panchayat office were gutted, the police said.



When thick smoke arose from the area at 3 a.m., local people alerted the police and the Fire and Rescue Services. Fire tenders reached the spot and the blaze was put out after two hours with the help of the people, they said.



The cause of the fire was not immediately known, the police said.



A team of Revenue personnel, led by District Collector T. Bhaskaran and Sulthan Bathery taluk tahsildar P.P. Poulose, visited the site of the fire.