12 godowns charred in Bhiwandi fire, none injured

A major fire broke out in an oil storage godown in Bhiwandi and spread rapidly, burning 11 other godowns early on Monday. There were no injuries.

At least 12 godowns where oil and tyres were stored in Shree Ganesh Compound at Gundawali village in Bhiwandi were charred in the incident.

Six fire-tenders from Kalyan, Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi and Thane were deployed to douse the fire. While the fire was doused by Monday afternoon, the work on cooling the area continued throughout the day.

“No people were caught or hurt in the blaze as it started early morning. The Bhiwandi fire office received a call from the watchman of the godown following which the fire-tenders reached the spot,” said Dattatray Shelke, fire officer, Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation.

“The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained as the fire officials are working on cooling the area. There are around 20-25 godowns in the area out, of which a dozen were charred in the incident,” said Shelke.

Fire brigade officials said while property worth crores of rupees was damaged in the incident, the exact loss of property is yet to be ascertained.

“Locals contacted the fire brigade as soon as they noticed the fire,” said Amar Shaikh, who works in one of the godowns. “There are several godowns in the area. Most of them store highly inflammable items such as oil and tyres.”