Rayagada: In a shocking turn of events, approximately 700 quintals of paddy, stored in 16 heaps, were completely destroyed in a fire at Patabandha village under Kalyansingpur block in Rayagada district on Friday.
The incident involved eight villagers from Patabandha – Purendra, Narendra, Prasanna, Jay Singh, Suba, Krishna, Lata, and Muguri – who had gathered their harvested paddy to sell it in the market.
According to reports, while the paddy was being stored, it suddenly caught fire. The flames quickly escalated and locals rushed to the scene, attempting to douse the fire by fetching water from their homes. However, their efforts were in vain as the blaze continued to spread uncontrollably.
Upon being informed, the local fire department swiftly arrived and managed to extinguish the flames. Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, all the paddy had been reduced to ashes.
This tragic incident has left the farmers devastated, as their livelihood was destroyed in a matter of hours.
