Big fire at iconic Crawford Market in Mumbai, smoke engulfs locality
Flames erupted at Mumbai's iconic Crawford Market on Thursday evening after several shops caught fire. However, Mumbai Fire Brigade brought the flames under control after a battle of 3 hours. The fire started in north-end wing of the British-era structure around 6.15 pm and was brought under control around 9 pm.
The blaze gutted corrugated boxes, large stocks of packing material, bamboos, electrical installation and electrical wirings in the shopping area of Crawford Market.
A dozen big and small stalls with ground and mezzanine floors were destroyed in the fire, which was put out by five fire-fighting jets of six fire engines.
There were no casualties.
Crawford Market is British built structure and is located in the heart of South Mumbai. The market is a big hub of wholesale trade of foodgrains, vegetables and other consumer goods.
"Very fast intervention and response by fire brigade has averted a major incident," said a senior officer, adding that it was initially level-1 fire call, which was later escalated to level-2. Five jumbo tankers, one quick response vehicle and an ambulance were also rushed to the spot. The shops inside the Market were closed when the blaze erupted.
The exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained.
(With PTI inputs)
