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Kakinada:A fire broke out in the early hours of Friday at Ratnagiri hills, home to the Lord Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy temple in Annavaram, Kakinada district.The blaze started in shops opposite the Western Rajagopuram and quickly spread to adjoining outlets, causing property damage. While traders claimed it began from a nearby bank ATM, fire officials did not confirm this.Firefighters from Annavaram and Tuni rushed to the spot and brought the flames under control. “We ensured the fire did not spread to other shops or temple premises and extinguished it completely,” said Tuni Station Fire Officer K. Ramudu, adding that an electrical short circuit may have triggered the incident.The episode has raised concerns over inadequate fire safety measures in the temple precincts, particularly at the shops lining the premises.
