Two fires on Diwali night: Medical Square building and TVS showroom in Savarkar Nagar

Two fires broke out in Nagpur on Sunday night as the city celebrated Diwali, setting off alarm among residents and renewing worries about fire safety while firecrackers were being burst on a large scale. Firecrackers were still going off across the city when the reports came in.

The first fire was in the Medical Square area, on the upper floor of a building that has a grocery shop, Ankush Kirana Stores, on its ground floor. The flames appeared suddenly. People nearby rushed about in confusion, and the scene was described as chaotic. Residents also heard what sounded like several small explosions from the upper floor while the fire raged, which added to the fear in the neighbourhood.

A fire brigade team reached the spot after being alerted and began fighting the blaze. After considerable effort, the firefighters brought it under control.

The second fire was in Savarkar Nagar, near Devnagar Chowk (also called Devnagar Square), at the Sai Dynamics TVS showroom. Preliminary information points to firecrackers set off for Diwali as the likely cause. One account says the wind carried burning firecrackers onto a shed on the upper part of the showroom, which caught fire. The blaze grew quickly and began to engulf the whole building.

The reports differ on what was lost inside. One says some two-wheelers parked in the showroom are feared to have been damaged. Another says some cars on the premises are feared to have been completely burnt. Neither claim has been confirmed, and the extent of the damage is still not known. It will become clear only after an inquiry and once the situation at the site is assessed.

The official cause of both fires and the full scale of the damage are awaited. Coming one after the other on the same night, the incidents have raised questions about the risk of bursting firecrackers close to shops, showrooms and commercial buildings, and about the safety arrangements in the city during the festival.