Indian Army personnel posted at the India-China border in East Sikkim controlled a fire that broke out at a local market located close to Changu Lake, a favourite hotspot for tourists.

According to army sources, the fire broke out at the Tsomgo (Changu) market complex around 3.25am on Saturday morning. Changu Lake is one of the prominent tourist destinations in East Sikkim.

The sources said around three shops were gutted in the blaze which was doused by the army personnel within a couple of hours.

“A team of the Trishakti Corps rushed to the site after getting the information. They cut off the electricity and cordoned the shops on fire. Altogether, 11 fire fighting groups of the army prepared a fire lane around the shops and isolated the burning shops from the remaining market. The fire was contained and was eventually doused within a couple of hours,” said a source.

In another incident, the Border Security Force (BSF) posted at the border outpost in Dakmalancha on the India-Bangladesh border in Bengal’s South Dinajpur district apprehended a Bangladeshi minor boy on Sunday for allegedly trying to smuggle cough syrup bottles from India to the neighbouring country.

Sources said the boy hails from Rajshahi district of Bangladesh.

The BSF also carried out special anti-smuggling drives from Thursday to Sunday in different bordering areas of north Bengal and seized different contraband items worth Rs 9.43 lakh which were allegedly supposed to be smuggled to Bangladesh.

Among the seized items were cattle, cough syrup bottles and cannabis, sources said.