New Delhi, July 18 (IANS) A major fire that gutted a shoe showroom in the capital’s central business district Sunday was finally extinguished after almost 10 hours, an official said. No casualties have been reported.

The fire that broke out around 11.15 a.m. Sunday at the Balujas showroom in Connaught Place could be extinguished only by 9 p.m., a fire official said. A total of 16 fire tenders were deployed.

The fire gutted much of the shop. However, the exact value of property lost is yet to be ascertained.

‘Six fire tenders were sent at the spot but as the situation worsened, 10 more fire tenders were deployed to douse the flames,’ the official said.

He said fire fighters faced problems in dousing the flames due to congestion near the shop.

‘The fire tenders faced some problem in reaching the shop as the area has become congested due to the construction work going on (for the Commonwealth Games) and the shops are also close to each other, but it was managed well,’ the official said.

The cause of the fire was also not known. ‘We cannot say right now whether the fire was caused due to an electrical short-circuit or any other reason,’ the official said.