Daijiworld Media Network - Pithampur
Pithampur, Oct 10: A massive fire broke out at a scrap warehouse in Sector 3 of Pithampur industrial town in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district on Saturday, spreading to neighbouring industrial units and prompting a major firefighting operation, officials said.
No casualties have been reported so far, police said.
The fire broke out at Alpa Industries, reportedly used as a scrap storage facility. Thick plumes of black smoke billowed from the site and were visible from a considerable distance, triggering panic among workers and residents in the surrounding industrial area.
According to police, the fire started in the morning and quickly intensified due to the combustible scrap material stored inside the warehouse. The flames subsequently spread to adjoining industrial sheds.
Pithampur Station House Officer (SHO) Sunil Sharma said police received information about the incident and immediately rushed to the spot along with fire brigade teams.
“Preliminary information suggests that the fire broke out due to a short circuit. Police and fire brigade teams immediately reached the spot and started firefighting operations,” Sharma said.
As the blaze spread to nearby units, the administration called in additional fire tenders from neighbouring areas, including Mhow, as well as from private companies operating in the Pithampur industrial belt. A total of seven fire tenders were deployed to bring the fire under control.
As a precautionary measure, fire brigade teams were also stationed at adjoining companies to prevent the flames from spreading further. The road leading to the affected unit was sealed off to keep people away from the site and ensure the smooth movement of emergency vehicles.
After several hours of sustained efforts, firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control. However, operations were continuing to extinguish the remaining flames and cool the affected area.
“The fire is now under control, and efforts are underway to extinguish it completely,” Sharma said.
The extent of damage to the warehouse and neighbouring industrial units was not immediately known. Officials said an assessment would be carried out after the cooling operation was completed.
The exact cause of the fire has not yet been officially confirmed, and further investigation is underway.
Pithampur, located around 30 km from Indore, is one of Madhya Pradesh's largest industrial hubs, housing hundreds of small and large manufacturing units.