Massive blaze destroys 16 godowns in Bhiwandi; 50 rescued, 12 fire tenders at spot

A fire destroyed at least 16 godowns in the power loom town of Bhiwandi in Thane district on Wednesday, an official said. Although there were no reports of any casualties, fire officials said that over 50 people have been rescued safely.

Maharashtra: 50 people rescued from 16 godowns in Sagar Compound in Bhiwandi's Mankoli where a fire broke out earlier today. Over 12 fire tenders at spot. Fire fighting operations underway. Fire Officer says massive fire & smoke is making ops tough, will take the entire day. pic.twitter.com/IiXQWRj8QI

— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2017

The blaze started around 10 am in one of the godowns and quickly spread to 15 other storage units located in the Sagar Coumpound in the area, said District Disaster Management Control (DDMC) chief Asmita Nikam. A dozen fire engines from Kalyan, Dombivili, Thane, Ulhasnagar, and Bhiwandi were pressed into service to douse the flames, Nikam said. The cause of the inferno was not yet known, the officer said. However, the fire-tenders said that the massive fire and the billowing smoke on a windy day is making the fire-tending operations tougher. ANI reported that the efforts to put out the fire will have to continue throughout the day. According to reports, electrical goods and timber were stored in the affected godowns. This is not the first instance of fire in warehouses and industrial units in Bhiwandi. According to The Times of India, on 2 November, another fire broke out at a textile factory in Bhiwandi, which was later controlled without any casualties. In October, another fire broke out on the second floor of a three-storey showroom on the Kalyan-Bhiwandi road  The Hindu reported. With inputs from PTI