In Assam, a devastating fire at Nilam Bazar of Karimganj district gutted 23 shops on Friday. According to the police, the fire broke out from one of the shops and spread to neaby areas. Fire tenders from Patherkandi, Karimganj and Badarpur doused the fire after hours of ceaseless efforts. The fire has caused extensive destruction due to compact nature of settlements. The amount of loss during the fire is reported to be over Rs. 75 lakh.