Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Massive fire broke out late Sunday night at saw mills on Bharat Talkies Road reducing five shops to ashes. The blaze spread rapidly as wooden logs and machinery caught fire with flames nearly 30 feet high.
Panic spread across the area as residents and shopkeepers rushed out of their buildings amid chaos and confusion.
Employees of the saw mills immediately informed the fire control room. Fire tenders reached the spot but by then the fire had taken a fierce form and spread to two adjoining furniture showrooms.
Workers made desperate attempts to control the flames but the stacks of wood fuelled the fire causing it to spread quickly. Fire brigade teams began spraying water on nearby shops to prevent further damage.
Fire officer Saurabh Kumar Patel said saw mills and two furniture showrooms were affected in the fire. Over 20 fire tenders from Pul Bogda, Bairagarh, Fatehgarh, Gandhinagar, Traffic Park, Mata Mandir, and Unani Shafakhana fire stations were deployed to control the blaze, he added.
Eyewitnesses said thick smoke enveloped the entire area and the sight of flames created panic among local residents. The loud sirens of fire trucks and the dense smoke led to traffic congestion along Bharat Talkies Road. Police cordoned off the area and diverted traffic and kept bystanders at a safe distance.
180 saw mills
There are around 108 saw mills operating between Barkhedi Fatak and Bharat Talkies. Officials have previously discussed relocating them due to repeated fire incidents, but no concrete action has been taken yet. Notably, a similar fire had occurred in the same area 11 months ago, causing losses worth crores of rupees. Another major fire was reported in February 2023, which had also caused panic in the locality.
