Goods worth crores of rupees gutted into ashes. 11 fire tenders and 40 private tankers were utilised for the task.
Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The aggressive fire that broke out at the Mahavir Ghar Sansar Mall in the Chelipura area on Sunday midnight was brought under control after a massive 15 hours. Meanwhile, the officials claimed that the cooling process was underway till 6 pm on Monday, as a result, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) and police were unable to conduct ‘panchnama’ of the site. However, all goods worth crores of rupees got gutted into ashes in this fire accident.
Sumeet Parakh owns the mall in the Chelipura area. Around midnight on Sunday, thick smoke began to emerge from the mall. The fire quickly turned into a fierce blaze. The fire was so massive that it engulfed nearby five to six shops as well. Initially, two fire tenders from the Fire Brigade section responded. Upon receiving the information, Minister Atul Save along with the Commissioner of Police Pravin Pawar, rushed to the site.
15 hours of relentless efforts by 70 firefighters
As the fire became more intense, after contacting the CSMC’s fire section, the fire teams from Bajaj Company, the Chikalthana Airport, and MIDC rushed with fire tenders to the spot. Over 70 firefighters made relentless efforts to control the fire for 15 long hours.
A total of 11 fire tenders and more than 40 private water tankers were used to douse the flames.
Cooling process took more than 12 hours
The fire, which started at midnight, was brought under control by 7 am, but the fire continued to smolder inside. It was horrifying as in the darkness of the night, flames could clearly be seen in the sky. A strong odour spread throughout the area. As a result, after 7 am, the fire officials began the cooling process. The debris was removed with JCB, and water was sprayed over it. By 6 pm, the cooling process had to be halted due to darkness.
The mall was a well-known landmark in the area, popular among the locals for selling everything needed in a household. As a result, the mall had a large stock of goods. While clearing the debris with JCBs, not a single item was found to be left intact. The mall was reduced to ashes.
Boxx
Cause of fire remains unclear; possibility of an electric short circuit.
According to CSMC’s chief fire brigade officer (CFBO), Rayba Patil, “ Fire section officials came to know that there were some people present in the mall when the fire broke out. However, the exact cause of the fire cannot be determined at this moment. Since the fire continued to smolder throughout the day, conducting an inspection was not possible. As per the preliminary situation, the fire might have been caused by an electric short circuit.”