Thane fire: Major disaster averted as fire brigade moves diesel tanker, shuts CNG pump nearby

Around 60 firefighters were present at the site. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

A fire broke out at Venkatram Foods in Hanuman Nagar, Wagle Estate, Thane West, at around 3.59 pm on Wednesday in a ground-plus-two-floor building. No casualties were reported since the factory was closed for the holiday, but fire brigade officials confirmed significant damage to the factory. Approximately seven fire engines from the Thane fire brigade, two from Mira Bhayandar, and one from Bhiwandi were present at the scene. This incident was categorised as a "brigade call," which is the highest level of alert in firefighting terms. More than 20 water tankers were used to control the fire, which lasted until 9 pm.

"The fire spread rapidly throughout the building due to the combustible materials inside. The presence of diesel and other flammable substances hindered fire control efforts. "Around eight commercial cooking cylinders exploded, further spreading the fire," fire officials said. Around 60 firefighters and officials, along with the City Disaster Relief Force, were at the site. Till the time of going to press the fire had not yet been fully extinguished. Yasin Tadvi, Chief of Thane Disaster Relief Force, said, "Due to the quick response, the fire did not spread to nearby areas. However, the highly flammable materials inside contributed to the building's complete involvement. The cause of the fire is still unknown."

Eknath Bhoir, a former corporator said, "I spoke to the factory owner, who was also unaware of the cause of the fire. There is a possibility it was caused by a short circuit." A fire brigade official from the Wagle Estate fire station, who was at the scene, said, "A diesel tanker was parked in the premises. We moved it away from the fire to prevent a major disaster. Additionally, a CNG pump near the factory was immediately shut down after the fire started." Rinku Pandey, a witness, said, " A small fire started on the ground floor. People were decorating a trolley for Navratri when they noticed the fire and alerted the watchman, but it spread quickly."