Panaji: Four people sustained burn injuries and four vehicles, including a four-wheeler, were gutted after a bamboo articles shop on the ground floor of a building in Assagao caught fire on Tuesday afternoon.Locals rushed to rescue workers trapped inside the shop, as the fire brigade reached about 30 minutes after the call. An eyewitness said a foreign tourist also helped in the rescue. The fire broke out around 3.30pm. Officials said the Mapusa fire tender, the nearest to Assagao, was engaged in firefighting operations at Tivim, leading to the delay. A fire station official said tenders were sent from Pilern, Porvorim and the headquarters. The tender deployed at Tivim was also called back as a precaution.The official said the Tivim incident involved a grass fire and, after it was contained, the tender proceeded to Assagao. Additional tenders were deployed to control the blaze and prevent it from spreading to other floors.Firefighters said the flames were fully extinguished by 5.30pm, after which teams returned to base. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The injured were taken to hospital before firefighters arrived.
