Massive fire guts textile factory in Navapur MIDC

Nashik: A major fire broke out at a textile manufacturing unit in the Navapur MIDC on Monday afternoon, causing extensive property damage but no casualties, as workers and nearby residents were evacuated in time.The blaze erupted around 12.30pm at Plot E-21, reportedly due to a suspected short circuit, and quickly intensified as highly flammable textile materials caught fire. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky, visible from over 3km, while the flames spread to adjacent units.Resident deputy collector Asha Sanghavi said over 50 workers were present when the fire broke out. "Pandemonium struck the campus, but workers who spotted the flames early raised an alarm, allowing everyone to flee to safety. As Navapur Municipal Council's lone fire tender proved insufficient, assistance from Nandurbar, Songad and Sakri was sought," she said.Officials said migrant families residing on the premises were also evacuated. "They carried whatever they could to save from the blaze. Several gas cylinders and flammable materials were moved out to prevent further escalation, though at least three explosions occurred inside the factory," a police official said.The intense heat led to collateral damage in neighbouring units, raising concerns about fire preparedness in the industrial area.Tehsildar Dattatray Jadhav and police inspector Abhishek Patil supervised the joint rescue and firefighting operations, which were ongoing at the time of reporting.Local entrepreneurs criticised the lack of dedicated fire safety infrastructure in the MIDC zone, which houses over 130 textile units, calling for urgent upgrades to prevent similar incidents.