Massive blaze at Udyog Vihar garment godown destroys goods worth crores

Gurgaon: A massive blaze gutted a partially completed building, with a garment godown in the basement, in Udyog Vihar Phase III on Saturday evening. Material worth crores were destroyed in the fire. However, no casualties were reported.
The fire started in the one of the two basement floors of the building on plot number 401, which was being used as a godown by garment exporter M/S R L Khanna and Co Overseas, and soon spread to the other basement, before engulfing the four floors, currently under construction.Some 25 fire engines were pressed into service and it took them more than six hours to douse the flames. There were at least 100 workers in the building at the time of the fire. Fortunately nobody was hurt in the blaze.
Sources told TOI flammable materials such as cotton, paper, cardboard and fabrics were stored in the basement in huge quantity, as a result of which the fire immediately spread to other floors of the building.
"I was leaving office when I noticed huge flames and smoke coming out of the building. It appeared as a huge ball of fire and smoke," said Ashok Ahuja, who works in a nearby fabric manufacturing company.
Udyog Vihar fire station was informed around 5.25 pm and within 10 minutes, some fire tenders reached the spot. Firemen first cordoned off the building and rescued all those who were inside. Meanwhile, more fire tenders were called in from all over the city, including Bhim Nagar, Manesar, sector 29 and 37 fire stations. The fire was finally brought under control around 11.30 pm.
"It was a big fire and we are assuming it possibly started due to a loose spark from the ongoing welding work was on in the basement. However, we will be able to ascertain the exact cause can be ascertained only by Sunday morning," said Birbal Sharma, a fire safety officer, Gurgaon.