Vadodara: Panic and chaos gripped the Gheekanta Road area in Nagarwada on Saturday afternoon as fire erupted from small cracks and gaps on the road.
Civic body officials said that the fire broke out due to gas leakage in a pipeline. It was doused by the fire department after constant sprinkling of water and foam liquid for over 30 minutes. The leakage was caused as the gas pipeline was punctured while laying underground cables for CCTV cameras under the Smart City project.
With flames coming out of the road, nearby shop owners rushed out of their establishments. “We were shocked to see fire on the road, so we just ran out and called fire brigade,” said one of the shopkeepers. The fire department had to sprinkle water not only at the source of fire but also at the entrances and basement windows of the shops to avoid them from getting heated and catching fire.
“There was no loss of life and property. But there is a possibility of damages due to salvaging activity,” a fireman said. The gas department had turned off the gas supply in the area after the fire was brought to their notice. The supply was resumed after three hours.