One suffocates to death as blaze engulfs furniture showroom in Shillong

Police said they have taken out the person from the godown through a small window and added that no one else was stuck inside

A person died of suffocation inside a godown in Meghalaya capital Shillong after a massive fire broke out at furniture showroom on Saturday. The blaze took place at Thana Road, near the Sadar Police Station around 1.20pm, according to eyewitnesses.

The deceased has been identified as Sampath, a manager with an electronics store in the city. (Representative Image)

The deceased has been identified as Sampath, a manager with an electronics store in the city. He was in the godown to pick up material for delivery along with a porter. While the porter left, Sampath remained behind and was soon trapped in the building after the fire broke out, said his employer Suraj Bajoria.

Fire tenders were pressed into service promptly upon being notified, but the narrow alleys and congested surroundings proved a major challenge for the tenders to reach the location.

Speaking to HT over phone from the site, Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kamal Thapa said, “We have taken out the person from the godown through a small window, no one else is stuck inside. Unfortunately, he passed away and we are still trying to control the flames.”

Police said no one else was injured except for the deceased. Meanwhile, traffic in the capital city came to a halt as vehicular movement had to be diverted away from the busy market hub and main city square.