Fire breaks out at Surat textile market; over 20 fire tenders deployed, no casualties

Surat: A major fire broke out at the Shyam Sangini Textile Market in the Saroli area of Surat shortly after midnight on Wednesday, triggering a large-scale firefighting operation that saw more than 20 fire tenders deployed to the site. No casualties have been reported so far.

The fire control room received the first emergency call at around 12.52 am, after which fire crews from three nearby stations were rushed to the location. On arrival, firefighters found the fourth and fifth floors of the market engulfed in flames, with thick smoke severely restricting visibility inside the building and hampering efforts to reach the affected areas.

Given the intensity of the blaze, a major fire call was declared and additional fire tenders were mobilised from other parts of Surat. Surat Municipal Corporation Chief Fire Officer Basant Parikh said around 20–22 fire brigade vehicles were deployed to control the fire, with turntable ladders and hydraulic platforms used to tackle the flames at height.

Parikh explained that the market has double-height floors, meaning the fourth and fifth levels are effectively situated at a much greater elevation than conventional floors. As a result, firefighting operations were being conducted at a height of around 20 metres, he said.

Electricity to the building was shut off as a precaution to prevent any electrical hazards during the operation. Firefighters were using breathing apparatus to enter the smoke-filled premises and reach the upper floors, where large quantities of textile stock had caught fire, officials said.

Teams continued to work to bring the blaze under control and prevent it from spreading to other sections of the market or nearby areas. There were no reports of anyone being trapped inside the building, and containment operations remained underway, officials added.

(Inputs from IANS)