Major blaze engulfs polythene factory in Cuttack’s Jagatpur, assets worth crores destroyed

A polythene manufacturing factory caught fire in the Gunjarpur area of Jagatpur in Cuttack on Monday morning. The exact reason behind the blaze remained unclear when fire services reached the spot.

As per early reports, several teams of Odisha Fire Services were pressed into action as thick smoke and flames were seen rising from inside the unit. The fire spread quickly owing to the presence of flammable materials used in polythene production.

Structural Damage Reported

The factory was identified as the Jaga Kalia polythene manufacturing unit, located near the Jagatpur industrial estate.

Sources informed that flames ravaged the interior portions of the unit, with parts of the roof collapsing and supporting pillars developing visible damage. Eyewitnesses reported that the blaze engulfed the structure within minutes, and most of the stored materials were burning by the time firefighting teams arrived.

Preliminary estimates indicated large-scale damage to assets inside the facility, including raw materials and finished polythene items, with early estimates suggesting several crores of rupees in damages.

Fire Services Deployed

Firefighting teams from Jagatpur and Chauliaganj were engaged in controlling the flames, with continuous efforts to prevent the fire from spreading further.

Officials stated that more than 85 percent of the raw materials stored inside had already caught fire as the combustible stock fuelled the blaze. No factory personnel were reported to be present inside the premises at the time of the incident, according to initial inputs gathered from the site.

Fire personnel indicated that safety documents, including the fire certificate, would be examined after the flames were fully brought under control.

Questions are now being raised locally regarding fire preparedness and internal safety systems at the unit, but authorities stated that a detailed assessment would follow only after cooling operations were completed.

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As of the latest information available, there were no reports of loss of life, and property damage was still being assessed while firefighting operations continued.