Flames after the blast in the Bathinda Cant areas could be seen from several kilometres away in Bathinda on Thursday.– A Tribune photo

Varinder Singh & Gagandeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, September 7

A fire broke out at the Army’s ammunition depot in the Bathinda Cantonment around 5:10 am today. It was controlled by fire tenders pressed into service by the Army. No casualty or injuries were reported.“The minor fire broke out in a concrete shed and was controlled in half an hour,” said a defence official.The Ministry of Defence has ordered an investigation. A committee has been set up for the purpose.A preliminary investigation indicated that a short circuit might have caused the fire. “Mainly, it was dry grass which caught fire,” the official said.As a precautionary measure, Northern Railways halted trains arriving at or leaving the local railway station. Rail traffic was resumed after the fire was controlled.Sukhmander Singh, a resident of Bhaagu village, said he heard a blast and saw flames. “We came out of our houses and rushed to the fields. Later, I found half-burnt wooden pieces in my fields,” he added.Deputy Commissioner Diprava Lakra said the fire was controlled by 6:30 am