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From the accounts of eye witnesses and the authorities, the flames of inferno initially started emanating from the first floor. Because of the wind flow, the fire eventually expanded to eight floor of the market. The fire fighting personnel surrounded the structure from all directions and encircled the conflagration, since the flames were at multiple places in the burning edifice. The empty shops in the markets were engulfed either because some repairing work was going on in the market.

Figure – This was the third fire incident Raghuveer textile market in the past six months

Image Source – https://images.indianexpress.com/2020/01/Surat-Fire.jpg

The fire officials reached the spot and started extinguishing fire flames which were emerging from the elevation structure of the market. A total of 15 fire tenders from different zones reached to the spot as the fire was spreading with spread due to blustery weather. After incessant and unrelenting attempts, the fire department officials brought the fire under control after three hours.

Though the exact reason behind this incident is yet to be ascertained; after the fire incident, the officials of the fire fighting and safety department have had found that the fire safety systems in the market were not adequate and even the elevation structure of the market is not proper.

There are over 15 such textile markets on Kumbharia road. Fire is fairly frequent in textile units because fibres of fabric are not only combustible but one of the compelling fodders for the inferno. Once it catches the fire, it is extremely challenging to douse the fire. On the top of that the fire officials reportedly recovered LPG cylinders from the spot.

According to the well placed sources, this was the third such incident of fire that broke out at the same facility. Prior to this, such incident had taken place on January 8, 2020 and January 21, 2020. After the second fire incident, the concerned authorities apparently sealed the marketplace. Since, the market falls in the Surat Urban Development Authority (SUDA) area, the related authorities reportedly had given a report to the SUDA chief to make changes in the elevation structure and consequently the market was also sealed.

When a massive fire broke out in the Raghuveer textile market complex on January 21–surprisingly within 11 days of another fire incident in the same building – Aarush Fire System Pvt. Ltd had suggested an effective and efficient system for this facility, through a blog. Had the recommended system be installed and maintained the third contingency would have been avoided.

Aarush Fire Systems hereby state (rather reiterate) that such defying practices are followed either due to lack of knowledge of fire safety or simply for cost cutting. But in both the possible scenario the loss is way too high than the cost saved. This incident is indeed yet another wake-up call for all of us and I really don’t know how many such “lethal calls” we still need to wake-up?