Massive blaze reduces OSMC warehouse to ashes in Bhubaneswar

A major fire broke out at the warehouse of Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited (OSMCL) in the Mancheswar Industrial Estate area late Sunday night, destroying the entire godown and medicines worth lakhs of rupees.

The fire mishap caused panic as the surrounding area was completely engulfed in thick, billowing smoke, from the burning medicines and other materials, intensifying the impact of the inferno.

Fortunately, no person was injured in the blaze which erupted at around 11:30 pm Sunday night. At least seven fire-fighting vehicles and water tankers have been pressed into action to bring the situation under control.

The fire personnel have been battling throughout the night to douse the flames. The godown housed several thousands of Covid-19 materials including masks, sanitiser, PPE Kit, saline, and oxygen cylinders of the Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited.

The fire team had to break the walls of the godown with the help of a JCB and entered the building to extinguish the fire. Even as the situation is not completely under control, the firefighters have managed to stop the blaze from spreading to other parts, reports said.

“A massive blast rocked our area. Initially, we thought a truck had caught fire. But, later we found that the building has caught fire. The blaze was so intense that flames started spreading toward our houses. We swung into action and alerted the fire teams and took our children to safety,” said a local eyewitness.

“The situation is under control now. Our team is making every effort to douse the flames. The total amount of loss will be ascertained only after the fire is brought under control,” said a fire officer.