THANE: A massive blaze tore through the Gamdevi market complex near Thane railway station in Maharashtra in the early hours of Thursday, leaving a fireman and a security guard dead and two other fire personnel injured, officials said. A “brigade call” was sounded as the fire escalated rapidly at around 3.45 am, engulfing multiple vegetable and clothing stalls in the busy market area, an official said.“Additional Commissioner of Police Prashant Rode said a fireman and a security guard were killed.” Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC) chief Yasin Tadvi confirmed that two more fire personnel sustained injuries during the operation. “It was a ‘major fire’ and destroyed the market, which housed numerous clothing stalls, vegetable and fruit markets, alongside a local municipal ward office,” he said. Eyewitnesses reported scenes of panic as massive flames and thick smoke billowed from the complex. “The fire broke out in the small hours of Thursday, and firefighting operations are actively underway. All available fire engines from across the city and the RDMC team have been pressed into service to bring the blaze under control,” officials said. Firefighters faced significant challenges in containing the inferno due to large quantities of highly combustible garments stored inside the stalls. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, officials added.
