Twice in 24 hours: Fire breaks out at Surat textile market, engulfs over 800 shops

Firefighters try to douse a fire that broke out at the Shiv Shakti Textiles Market in Surat. (Courtesy: PTI photo)

A massive fire broke out in the four-story Shiv Shakti Textile Market (SSTM) in Surat on Wednesday morning, the second time in less than 24 hours.

The fire engulfed over 800 shops, out of which nearly 450 were completely reduced to ashes. It was on Tuesday that the fire first broke out, it then reignited the next morning quickly growing more intense and wreaking havoc.

Even after 28 hours, efforts are underway to douse the flames after the fire broke out in the textile market neighbourhood in Surat's Ring Road. According to police officials, no casualty has been reported so far.

"A fire broke out at Surat's Shiv Shakti Textile market on the night of February 25. Since then, we have been trying to control the fire. Because of polyesters and clothes in the market, fire kept spreading to different floors. Five departments are trying to douse the fire. All the nearby markets have been shut; it is our priority that fire does not spread to any other market," Anupam Singh Gehlot, Surat Police Commissioner, said.

A vast array of textile items, mostly polyester sarees, was kept in nearly each of the 834 stores in the SSTM building. The building has shops in the basement, ground floor, and on the upper four stories. One of the biggest challenges is preventing the fire from spreading to nearby buildings because the structure is flanked by other textile markets.

Across the city, people could see the smoke billowing in the sky. The traders who lost their goods were spotted sobbing as they watched their priceless textile inventory burn.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Bhagirath Gadhavi told news agency ANI that the whole area has been sealed off and the concerned teams are working tirelessly to control 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. We are trying to ensure that there is no traffic in the surrounding areas. There are 800 shops in Shiv Shakti market; all shops are closed. We have also instructed the shops around the market to be closed," DCP Gadhavi said.