A massive fire broke out near shops in Gaur Chowk within the Crossings Republik police station area in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district on Tuesday, April 21. The blaze quickly engulfed five commercial units, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky and causing panic among local residents and commuters.
The fire department was alerted at around 11:30 am. A total of 10 fire tenders were dispatched to the scene immediately to initiate firefighting operations.
Chief fire officer Rahul Pal Singh said, "A fire broke out in several shops in Crossing Republic, caused by a cylinder blast... Two teams were formed to handle the situation."
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According to preliminary reports, the fire originated in one shop before spreading rapidly. The heat caused three gas cylinders to explode, which further intensified the flames and led to the destruction of four adjacent shops. Fire has been brought under control.
Firefighters managed to bring the situation under control within an hour, successfully preventing the blaze from reaching a nearby CNG pump, which could have resulted in a far more severe disaster.