Guwahati’s Sohum Emporia ravaged by pre-dawn blaze; no casualties reported

A massive fire ravaged the Sohum Emporia shopping complex in Christian Basti, Guwahati, during the early hours of Wednesday, causing widespread panic and significant structural damage. 

The building also houses an SBI branch, which was affected in the incident.

According to reports, the blaze broke out around 2 a.m. and spread rapidly before emergency services reached the site. Thick smoke and towering flames were visible from surrounding localities as firefighters battled relentlessly through the night.

By approximately 7 a.m., the fire was nearly doused, though the cause of the incident remains unknown. Officials described the blaze as “huge” and noted that enormous effort was required to bring it under control.

Nearly six fire tenders were deployed to tackle the inferno, taking close to five hours to subdue the flames. Post-containment, teams continued cooling operations to prevent further flare-ups.

While no casualties have been reported so far, authorities are expected to conduct a detailed assessment of the damage—including to the SBI branch—and initiate an investigation to determine the source of the fire.