Massive fire at engulfs cracker godown

Times News NetworkBhopal: A massive fire broke out at a fireworks shop-cum-godown on Bairagarh Road in the early hours of Friday, triggering a series of explosions that echoed across the area and sent flames soaring 70-80 feet high into the air.

No casualties were reported. The cause of fire could not be ascertained but officials suspect that a short circuit might have started the fire.The incident occurred around 3.30am at a fireworks outlet located in Halalpura. Firecrackers stored inside the shop caught fire, leading to repeated explosions that hampered firefighting operations.Around a dozen fire brigades from Fatehgarh, Bairagarh, Gandhi Nagar, Kabadkhana, Kolar, BHEL and other fire stations rushed to the spot after receiving information about the blaze.

Firefighters battled the flames for over three hours before bringing the situation under control. Fire could finally be doused completely by 10am.Two fire brigades remain stationed in the area to as a precautionary measure the whole day suspecting that the rising temprature during the day could trigger unexploded crackers buried under the debris and may reignite the blaze.Koh-e-Fiza police along with FSL team and Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials conducted an inspection of the site to find out the cause of fire.

Koh-e-Fiza SHO KG Shukla said that police would register a case in the matter on teh report of BMC officials and conduct an investigation. Further action will be taken on basis of investigation outcome.He said that the owner of the fireworks shop-cum-godown Sanjay Soni reportedly fell unconscious after the incident and hospitalised. Police are yet to record his statements. Goods kept in the shop were completely gutted in the fire and the exact loss was being estimated.SHO Shukla said that fire started at the shop located in Halalpur area around 3.30am. Acting on information, police reached the spot and informed the fire control room.BMC fire officer Saurabh Patel said that information of the fire was received around 4am. Fire brigades were immediately dispatched to the spot from nearby fire stations. Around a dozen fire brigades battled the blaze for around three hours before bringing it under control.He said that the firefighters could not move close to the burning shop as the firecrackers stored inside were exploding constantly due to which burning remains and sparks were thrown in the air.He said that the major concern was to control fire spreading into a petrol pump located in close proximity and other buildings located nearby. The other firecracker shops in the area are located around half a kilometre away from this shop.As the fire broke out early in the morning there was minimal traffic on the road. Police closed one lane of the road for traffic during the operation as buring crackers and remains were landing on the carriageway. Power supply of the area was disconnected due to the firefighting operation. It was restored in the afternoon.