MARGAO
Panic, anxiety and tension gripped the New Market area of the commercial capital, the hub of trade and commerce, after a total of four shops -- two garment and two pharmacies -- housed in a building were engulfed by a massive fire on Tuesday morning, destroying property worth lakhs of rupees.
Fortunately, the two-hour fire-fighting operation by personnel of the fire brigade, assisted by traders, citizens and the police helped to contain the fire from spreading to the adjoining hundreds of shops and stalls in the Margao municipality owned-new market, which would have resulted in a major disaster.
The fire is believed to have originated in the garment shop before spreading to the pharmacy. The fire, spotted by customers while shopping on the mezzanine floor of the garment shop, soon engulfed the shop. Thick black smoke billowed from the new market building, which was visible from a distance.
As reports of the fire did the rounds in the narrow passages of the congested market, alarm bells rang in the market as the massive fire threatened to spread to adjoining stalls. Traders called up the Margao fire brigade as well as the Margao police station in-charge, PI Tulsidas Naik to ensure the fire brigade rushes to the site.
It took some time for the Margao fire brigade to reach the spot given that the incident occurred during peak traffic hours. Taking cognisance of the grave situation, the Margao fire brigade sent SOS to the fire stations at Verna, Cuncolim and Curchorem to send reinforcements to the new market to meet the emergency situation.
Margao police personnel, market traders and members of the public lent their helping hand to the firemen in the operations. After the power department went for an emergency shutdown, the new market was plunged into darkness. Shops and stalls around the ill-fated building were all shut, including the sausage lane, as a precautionary measure.
Fire brigade has informed that the cause of the fire is under investigations, adding that letters have been written to the police and electricity department to find out the cause of the fire. While the fire brigade could not state the estimated loss of property in the incident, it said the fire services managed to save property worth Rs 30 lakh.
Around 100 square meters of area was damaged in the fire, including false ceiling, roof, AC units, readymade garments, electrical wiring, display boards, electrical appliances and pharmaceutical products.
Shops which were affected by the incident include Limras garments, Metro Garments, Ms Farmacia Menezes & CIA and Ms Farmacia N Menezes, fire brigade informed.
Sub-divisional Magistrate, Margao Uday Prabhudesai, Sub-divisional Police Officer, Margao DySP Santosh Desai, Margao PI Tulsidas Naik, Margao Municipal engineer Deepak Desai rushed to the new market. Margao MLA Digambar Kamat along with MMC vice-Chairperson Deepali Sawal, Councillors Mahesh Amonkar, Camilo Barretto, former Dy Chief Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar and others also rushed to the market.
