Shillong, Nov 10: A massive fire gutted a tent house godown at Demseiniong on Tuesday, causing estimated losses of Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 crore.
Firefighters battled the blaze for over three hours before bringing it under control. Nearly 15 fire tenders were pressed into service, while drones were deployed to assess the situation.
The fire was reported at around 2.30 pm, following which emergency services were immediately mobilised.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said six fire tenders from the Meghalaya Police Fire and Emergency Services were pressed into service, along with tenders from the BSF, Assam Rifles and the Indian Air Force.
He said the godown contained a large quantity of inflammable materials, including mattresses, synthetic materials, chairs and carpets, which contributed to the intensity of the blaze.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. A possible short circuit or cooking inside the warehouse are among the possibilities being examined, Syiem said.
The immediate priority was to cordon off the area, regulate traffic, evacuate nearby buildings and remove gas cylinders to prevent the fire from spreading.
“There were no casualties. Our priority as soon as we got here was to cordon off the place, manage traffic so that the fire tenders could get here, evacuate nearby buildings and get all the gas cylinders out,” he said.
On reports of delays, Syiem said the incident occurred during rush hour, coinciding with school dispersal, which led to heavy traffic congestion. However, he said the first fire tenders reached the site within seven to 10 minutes of being called.
Godown owner Rajesh Syiem said the fire spread very quickly, leaving little time to save the materials. He estimated the loss at around Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 crore, adding that the exact damage would be difficult to assess as several items were stored outside the warehouse in view of the ongoing festival season.
He said the fire tenders responded promptly but traffic congestion affected their movement towards the site. He said all tenants staying in the flats within the premises, along with the staff, managed to evacuate immediately after the fire broke out.
Expressing relief that no one was injured, he said the damage was confined to goods and property.
The narrow approach roads and traffic congestion posed challenges for the firefighting operation, while thick smoke from the burning warehouse was visible from a distance.
