Rajasthan: Massive fire breaks out at Kota's City Mall; 12 fire trucks deployed

The Kota Police have stated that "the chances of casualties are negligible since the mall had not opened yet."

According to the officials, fire broke out on the second floor of Kota's City Mall. 12 fire tenders were dispatched to the spot to douse the flames. The fire could largely be controlled while the smoke remained.

Speaking to the reporter, Fire Officer Amjad Khan said, "The fire was reported about 1.5 hours ago. We dispatched fire trucks from all stations. Due to the severity of the fire, a total of 12 fire trucks are currently engaged in firefighting efforts. The fire has been largely controlled; we're trying to subdue the smoke now. Twelve fire trucks are continuously refilled and used for the operation..."

Meanwhile, SP of Kota, Tejaswini Gautam, while talking to the reporters, said, "Even though the mall was closed, our priority is to check if there's anyone trapped inside once the fire is doused...Over a dozen fire stations, SDRF personnel, civil defence, and police rescue teams are involved in the operation to prevent the fire from spreading and to ensure no further accidents occur. We'll further investigate the cause."

More details awaited.

Earlier in April, a major fire broke out at Refinery-cum-Petrochemical Complex at Pachpadra in the Balotra district of Rajasthan.

Black smoke was seen over the complex, after which the firefighting vehicles were seen arriving at the spot. The dousing operations are underway.

On Wednesday, in a separate incident, a massive fire broke out at Gaur Green Avenue in the Abhay Khand area of Indirapuram in Ghaziabad, triggering panic among residents.

Fire tenders were rushed to the spot soon after the incident was reported, and efforts are underway to bring the fire under control.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. No casualties have been reported so far.

Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Rahul Kumar said no casualties were reported as trapped occupants were safely evacuated, adding that over 17 fire tenders brought the blaze under control. (ANI)