Bhanjanagar: In a tragic incident, at least 15 goat kids were burnt alive after a fire broke out in a cattle shed at Khandikoti village under Bhanjanagar police limits in Odisha's Ganjam district on Monday.

The shed reportedly belongs to Srinivas Biswal, a Panchayat Samiti member of Gunduribadi panchayat.

Suspected arson behind the blaze

Although the exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined, there are suspicions that miscreants might have deliberately set the shed on fire. The cattle shed was located some distance away from the main village.

At the time of the incident, the adult goats had been taken out for grazing, while the goat kids remained inside the shed.

Few baby goats rescued as flames spread rapidly

After noticing the fire, some locals rushed to the spot to rescue the animals. However, due to the intensity of the flames, only four goat kids could be saved, while 15 others were charred to death.

The blaze also spread to a nearby sugarcane patch, causing partial damage to the crop.

Farm equipment destroyed; firefighters control blaze

Apart from the loss of livestock, several agricultural tools stored in the shed were destroyed in the fire. These included three old tyre water pumps, sprinklers and other farming equipment.

On receiving information, two fire service units from the Bhanjanagar Fire Station rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control.

Biswal said he would soon lodge a complaint with the revenue and police authorities regarding the incident.