Surat (Gujarat) [India]: More than 36 hours after a massive fire broke out at Surat’s Shiv Shakti textile market, smoke continued to rise from the site on Thursday night as firefighting efforts persisted.
Firefighters remained on the ground, working tirelessly to fully extinguish the blaze and prevent any potential reignition.
Surat Chief Fire Officer Basantkumar Pareek confirmed that the fire had been completely put out, but precautions were being taken to eliminate any lingering risks.
“The fire has been completely extinguished after almost 36 hours. Water is being sprinkled wherever there is smoke to ensure that the fire doesn’t re-ignite. Fire personnel are working on all floors. We faced a little problem as there was synthetic material here, and the shutters were locked. The fire has been completely brought under control. After a structural audit is done and its report is submitted, permission would be granted for this market to operate again,” Pareek stated.
He added that the market houses around 850 shops and that firefighting operations were expected to continue until morning.
“It takes time to cut locks with a gas cutter and then sprinkle water. Due to temperature, the plaster has fallen apart, but there are no cracks,” he further explained.
The fire, which broke out on Wednesday morning, triggered an immediate emergency response as authorities worked to contain the situation.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Bhagirath Gadhavi said that the entire area was cordoned off as teams focused on controlling the fire.
“Fire brigade teams are engaged in extinguishing the fire in the Shiv Shakti cloth market. The entire area has been cordoned off; the Police have evacuated the entire area. Police have also been deployed on a large scale. Work is being done to ensure that there is no traffic in the surrounding areas. All teams are deployed here. There are other shops here, so the Police are present here to ensure their safety. There are 800 shops in Shiv Shakti market, all shops are closed, shops in the surrounding markets have also been closed,” DCP Gadhavi told ANI.
Earlier, Chief Fire Officer Vasant Parekh revealed that the fire had spread rapidly from the basement to the first, second, and third floors.
“A few of the fire brigade personnel were stuck, but they have been evacuated. 15 teams are there. There has been no casualty,” he added.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, ensuring that the fire does not reignite while also assessing the structural integrity of the affected market.