Sangameshwar: A major fire broke out at a scrap warehouse owned by Amit Paswan, opposite the Maruti Temple in Sangameshwar in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district, around midnight, destroying a large quantity of scrap material and causing preliminary losses estimated at over Rs 2 lakh.
The firefighting operation began at 12.48 a.m. Monday. The blaze spread rapidly due to the large quantity of scrap stored inside the warehouse, raising concerns that the flames could spread to nearby residential buildings and shops.
Firefighters rushed to the location and launched an emergency operation to contain the blaze. The Devrukh fire brigade was the first to reach the site, followed by teams from the Chiplun Municipal Council, Ratnagiri MIDC and Ratnagiri Municipal Council.
Fire personnel battled the flames throughout the night before bringing the situation under control at around 7 a.m.
Crew leaders Lingappa Halmani, Sagar Talekar and Akash Karande, along with other fire brigade personnel, played a significant role in the operation. Their efforts helped prevent the fire from spreading to nearby houses and commercial establishments, averting a potentially serious incident.
The exat cause of the fire remains unknown. Authorities are yet to release a detailed assessment of the damage. The incident has raised concerns among residents and shopkeepers in the surrounding area.
In a separate incident October 8, a fire broke out at a ground-plus-one-storey labour camp in the Tata Nagar area on Navghar Road in Mulund East, Mumbai. The incident reportedly involved the explosion of seven gas cylinders.
The labour camp is located within a project complex in the Tata Colony area, which was developed for the rehabilitation of families displaced from Dharavi. The Shapoorji Pallonji Group is reportedly developing the project.
The fire was suspected to have been triggered by a gas cylinder explosion. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone East 3) Abhaysinha Deshmukh said seven cylinders had exploded during the incident.
“During the incident, seven gas cylinders exploded. All occupants of the premises were safely evacuated,” Deshmukh had said.
