Massive fire engulfs Bhubaneswar Supermarket; 40 fire tenders, robotic monitor deployed

A massive fire continued to rage at a supermarket near Bhubaneswar’s Lingipur area, more than 12 hours after it first broke out late Monday night. The blaze reportedly started at around 10.30 pm and has since caused extensive damage to property worth lakhs of rupees.

Despite continuous efforts, the fire had not been fully brought under control at the time of filing this report. The fire erupted on the third floor of the multi-storey building and quickly spread due to the presence of highly combustible materials stored inside.

Firefighting Efforts Intensified

Over 40 fire tenders have been deployed since last night to douse the flames. However, officials said the ‘intensity of the blaze and the large volume of plastic goods stocked in the supermarket made operations extremely challenging’. Thick smoke and continuous flare-ups have further hampered efforts.

Given the gravity of the situation, firefighters resorted to breaking portions of the building’s walls to gain access and contain the fire. The structure’s enclosed layout and the accumulation of plastic household materials significantly accelerated the spread of flames.

Robotic Monitor Pressed Into Service

An advanced robotic monitor was also deployed to tackle the fire. The robotic equipment was sent inside the building soon after the blaze was reported in an attempt to control the flames from within. However, officials confirmed that the robot could not completely suppress the fire due to extreme heat and dense smoke.

Large quantities of plastic, steel utensils and other household goods were reduced to ashes. Fire department sources stated that the excessive stock of plastic items contributed to the prolonged burning and difficulty in containment.

Fire Services Dept DG Reacts

“The supermarket is a four-storey building. The fire on the first three floors has been doused. Firefighting operations are currently underway on the fourth floor after breaking open portions of the walls. The fourth floor contains highly flammable materials such as rubber and plastic, making it difficult to control the flames with water. Therefore, we are using foam compounds to douse the fire. It will take a few more hours to completely extinguish the blaze,” said Fire Services DG Sudhanshu Sarangi.

Cause Under Investigation

While the exact cause of the fire remains unclear, preliminary suspicion points towards a possible short circuit. Authorities have initiated an investigation to ascertain the precise cause of the incident.

No casualties have been reported so far. Firefighting operations were still underway as teams continued efforts to fully extinguish the blaze and prevent further structural damage.

Also Read: Massive fire guts Paradip vegetable market, 50 shops reduced to ashes

Locals React

“It has been more than 12 hours since the firefighting operation started, but the blaze has not yet been doused. The mall stores a huge quantity of plastic goods, which is further fuelling the fire,” said a local resident.

“The mall spans over 7,000 square foot area. However, there is only one-way access to the mall making it difficult in firefighting operations,” said another local.