21 April,2026 03:15 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
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A blaze broke out at a chemical godown in Maharashtra's Thane district on Tuesday morning, prompting a massive three-hour firefighting operation, officials said, reported PTI.
While no casualties were reported in the fire that erupted at a godown in the Khadipar area of Bhiwandi around 9.30 am, thick plumes of foul-smelling smoke engulfed the locality, they said, reported PTI.
Two fire engines of the Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC) were rushed to the spot, and the blaze was brought under control and extinguished by 12.30 pm, he said, adding that cooling operations were underway, reported PTI.
"As of now, no one has been reported injured in the incident. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained and is under investigation," the officer said, reported PTI.
According to eyewitnesses, thick plumes of smoke and flames were visible from a considerable distance.
"Dense smoke and flames could be seen from afar, and a foul smell spread across the locality due to the chemicals stored in the godown," the official said, reported PTI.
Firefighting teams also faced challenges during the operation, particularly due to inadequate water supply, he said.
In another incident, a fire broke out at a garment shop near Thane railway station on Monday morning, officials said, reported PTI.
There were no reports of any casualties so far, they said.
The blaze erupted at 5.40 am at Prachi Fashion Store, located on the ground floor of a building close to Gavdevi Temple on Gokhale Road in the Naupada area, Thane's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said, reported PTI.
After being alerted, fire brigade teams, disaster management personnel and staff from the electricity distribution company rushed to the spot, reported PTI.
The fire was extinguished by 8.40 am, and cooling operations are underway, the official said.
The cause of the blaze was being investigated, he added.
Meanwhile, two private buses parked inside Wadala Truck Terminus in Mumbai were damaged in a fire on Monday afternoon, officials said. Nobody was injured in the incident.
The Fire Brigade was alerted about the blaze at around 2 PM. It was brought under control within a few minutes.
The buses were parked in a parking lot near the Wadala RTO office, which has jurisdiction in the eastern suburbs.
An RTO official said the fire spread to three buses parked near each other, but one of them was immediately separated with the help of a hydra crane.
He said that two buses suffered extensive damage in the fire. The cause of the blaze is not immediately known.
(With inputs from PTI)
