AN Indian takeaway owner has said his family business is in 'jeopardy' after a 'devastating' blaze ripped through the building next door.

More than 60 firefighters fought to bring the fire under control in Newport city centre on Monday night.

Punjabi Kitchen owner, Rakesh Jindal, 51, said that he was woken up by somebody throwing a shoe at his window to warn him of the blaze in an empty building in Commercial Street, situated next to his business.

He told the South Wales Argus: “I closed the shop down at 9pm and then went to go to bed, but the next thing I knew somebody threw a shoe at my window and I heard people screaming at me to get myself and my family downstairs as there was a huge fire next door.

“The fire was overwhelming, I could feel the heat in the air and the smell was incredibly overpowering. I was so petrified that it was going to swallow my business up.”

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service received a call at 9.13pm and three crews attended, from Duffyn, Cwmbran and Malpas station, but shortly after 10pm, seven crews were at the scene to contain the flames which Mr Jindal described as 'chaos'.

The takeaway owner of ten years said how he 'frantically' rushed his wife and two daughters out of the building.

It was the second time in four years he has had to evacuate his family after a similar incident when a fire broke out in September 2011.

He said: “There has been a fire on this street twice in four years. The first time it happened we had to sell our property in India to cover the costs of the damage and we are still paying off debts to this very day."

Mr Jindal’s wife, Paramjeet, 43, fought back tears as she said the business is in danger of never reopening again and that the family are having to stay in hotel accommodation until they are told that they can return to their home.

She said: “We’re currently living in hotel accommodation and that is no way to live. It’s like we’re living in a nightmare.”

“We can’t reopen our business until it is deemed safe to do so as they have shut off our water so as a business, we are currently unable to function."

A fire control spokesman said: “We are now aware that the fire was accidentally started and not deliberately.”