Fire breaks out at city market, four rescued from lift

Surat: A fire broke out at Jay Shree Ram Market near Sahara Darwaja in Surat's textile market area on Ring Road on Tuesday, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky and prompting a major emergency response.Officials said dense smoke initially hampered firefighting efforts and made it difficult for teams of the Surat Fire and Emergency Services (SFES) to assess the scale of the blaze. The SFES control room received the first call around 12.15pm, following which a brigade call was declared due to the location inside a large textile market complex housing around 1,200 shops.
In all, teams from 11 fire stations and 18 firefighting vehicles were pressed into service. The fire was brought under control after nearly five hours, following which cooling operations were carried out to prevent re-ignition, as large quantities of highly inflammable polyester textile material were stored at the site.Firefighters faced major operational challenges due to narrow internal lanes in the market area, which restricted the movement of fire engines and delayed access to the affected spot. Poor ventilation inside the building further complicated efforts to control the smoke and flames.The fire reportedly originated on the fifth-floor terrace, where illegal metal-sheet sheds were being used as warehouses. Officials said a huge quantity of textile goods was stored in these sheds, two of the eight warehouses on the terrace were affected in the incident.During the fire, four people were trapped inside a lift on the third floor after the power supply was cut, causing the lift to get stuck. They were later rescued safely by SFES personnel."The market has been sealed as the warehouses were illegally erected on the terrace. Further action will be taken after verification of documents and compliance records," an official said.