A major fire broke out at a textile manufacturing unit in the Navapur MIDC area of Nashik on Monday afternoon, resulting in extensive property damage but no casualties, as workers and nearby residents were evacuated in time.
Blaze Erupts Due to Suspected Short Circuit
The fire started around 12:30 PM at Plot E-21, reportedly due to a suspected short circuit. It quickly intensified as highly flammable textile materials caught fire. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky, visible from over 3 kilometers away, and flames spread to adjacent units.
Evacuation and Response
Resident Deputy Collector Asha Sanghavi stated that 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 added that 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 reported. The intense heat caused collateral damage to neighboring units, raising concerns about fire preparedness in the industrial area.
Ongoing Operations and Criticism
Tehsildar Dattatray Jadhav and Police Inspector Abhishek Patil supervised joint rescue and firefighting operations, which were ongoing at the time of reporting. Local entrepreneurs criticized the lack of dedicated fire safety infrastructure in the MIDC zone, which houses over 130 textile units, and called for urgent upgrades to prevent similar incidents.
