A fire at a refrigerator shop in Nagpur’s congested Lodhipura area spread to two adjoining houses on Sunday morning, causing estimated damage of Rs35.7 lakh and triggering panic after several compressors reportedly exploded. No injuries or casualties were reported.
The fire broke out at Al Kausar Refrigeration near Gitanjali Square on Central Avenue at around 8.47am, according to Nagpur Municipal Corporation officials. A team from Ganeshpeth Fire Station reached the location within four minutes and began firefighting operations as the flames moved towards neighbouring homes.
Four fire tenders and four water bowsers were deployed during the operation. The water bowsers made multiple trips to maintain supplies while teams from Ganeshpeth, Civil Lines, Lakadganj, Wathoda, Sakkardara and Sugat Nagar fire stations joined the response.
A senior fire official said the blaze was brought under control after a couple of hours. One fire tender remained at the site as a precaution before returning to the station at 3.50pm. Chief fire officer Tushar Barahate, fire station in-charge Vilas Tilgule and other senior officials also visited the location.
The shop was located in an old structure built with tin sheets, wood and brick walls. A senior firefighter said the construction contributed to the rapid spread of the flames. The official also said the shop had no firefighting arrangements. The compressors burst during the fire, causing explosions that heightened panic among residents and people gathered near the site.
The preliminary damage assessment put losses at approximately Rs35 lakh for materials destroyed inside the shop. The adjoining house owned by Ramesh Bhawla suffered estimated losses of Rs50,000, while another neighbouring house belonging to Manoj Shrivas suffered losses estimated at Rs20,000.
The incident also required crowd management. A large number of people gathered near the site following the explosions, prompting personnel from Ganeshpeth police to intervene and disperse the crowd while firefighting operations continued.
Officials have not yet established the exact cause of the fire. The incident has nevertheless highlighted the operational difficulties of responding to fires in dense urban areas where commercial activity, older building materials and adjoining homes are closely packed together. The municipal fire department’s preliminary assessment and the response records will be central to determining whether safety requirements were followed at the shop.
The exact cause of the blaze remains under investigation, while the authorities have completed the immediate firefighting response and preliminary damage assessment.
