A fire broke out around 10:30 AM on Wednesday in a plastic items store located on the second floor of the City Mall in Kota, Rajasthan. The incident occurred before the mall's business activities had commenced, causing brief panic among the few present. Firefighters, including 50-60 personnel and 15 fire tenders, worked for approximately two hours to control the flames, which were intensified by smoke filling the premises. Initial investigations by fire officer Amzad Khan indicated that a short circuit was the likely cause of the fire. Although the mall was equipped with mandatory fire-fighting equipment, the rapid spread of flames overwhelmed the staff's attempts to extinguish the fire. The authorities have since evacuated the mall and the adjacent coaching institute for safety reasons and have suspended all business activities for a week. A case has been registered against the mall's management as investigations continue.