Aakanksha Jetley, Pune
An early morning fire broke out in Pune’s renowned Tulshibaug Market on August 17, causing panic among residents and authorities. The incident was promptly handled by the Pune fire department, who suspected a short circuit was the source of the fire.
The incident occurred about 8 a.m. when the Pune fire brigade’s control center received an urgent call about a fire outbreak at the Tulshibaug Market situated at the heart of the city. Officer K Chowdhari led a rapid reaction squad to the location, which was equipped with a fire tender and water tankers.
Employees of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Corporation Limited (MSEDCL) acted swiftly by shutting off power to the Tulshibaug market area as soon as they learned about the transformer catching fire. The fires were successfully doused within ten minutes, preventing any severe damage. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as a consequence of the incident.
Chowdhari, a fire officer, stated, “We suspect a short circuit caused the fire. The transformer was located near the cloth shops in the market. But the shops were closed, and the shutters were down. So the fire did not cause any damage to the shops.”
During the same morning, a fire broke out at a jewelry store in the Wanwadi neighborhood. Around 6.50 a.m., the Pune fire brigade’s control center was informed of the incident at Piyush Jewellers in Parm Park Society, Wanwadi. Officer Kailas Shinde led a quick response squad to the area.
The firefighters handled the situation by bringing the flames under control in 15 minutes. There were no casualties in this episode either. The cause of the jewelry store fire is yet to be known and is being investigated. Both fires are still being investigated, and officials are expected to take preventive measures to avoid similar incidents in the future.