A 75-year-old woman died after a fire broke out in a four-storey godown building at Shivtej Chowk in Alandi on Monday night, while fire personnel rescued other residents trapped inside the building, according to Lokmat – Pune. The blaze caused extensive damage to the building, which housed a large stock of clothes, cardboard and other combustible material.
The deceased was identified as Shakuntala Inderkumar Dhadiwal. She was trapped on the second floor and could not be rescued because of the intensity of the fire. Sarla Sumatilal Lodha, another elderly resident, was rescued safely, while residents trapped on the third floor were brought out by fire personnel.
The building, identified as Vikas Cloth Centre, quickly filled with thick smoke after the fire broke out. The presence of clothes, cardboard and other flammable material caused the flames to spread rapidly, creating panic among residents and people in the surrounding area.
After receiving information about the incident, the Alandi Municipal Council fire brigade reached the site under the direction of chief officer Madhav Khandekar. The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation fire brigade was also called in after the severity of the fire became clear. Fire personnel, Alandi police, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company employees, local representatives and residents took part in the rescue and response operation.
The response was complicated by narrow roads and unauthorised parking on both sides of the access routes leading to the building. These obstructions made it difficult for fire vehicles to reach the site, raising concerns about the availability of clear emergency routes in a densely built urban area. Alandi municipal council president Prashant Kurhade appealed to residents to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles.
The preliminary suspicion is that the fire may have been caused by a short circuit, but the exact cause has not yet been established. Alandi police are investigating the incident. The municipality is also preparing to make fire-safety audits mandatory for commercial establishments and shops across the city, chief officer Madhav Khandekar said.
The municipal administration has urged residents and shopkeepers to have electrical equipment inspected regularly and to follow fire-safety rules. The incident has brought renewed attention to fire preparedness in commercial buildings, the maintenance of electrical systems and the effect of parking and encroachments on emergency access. Further action will depend on the police investigation and the proposed municipal fire-safety audit process.
