A fire broke out at Venkatram Foods in Hanuman Nagar, Wagle Estate, Thane West, at around 3.59 pm on Wednesday in a ground-plus-two-floor building. No casualties were reported since the factory was closed for the holiday, but fire brigade officials confirmed significant damage to the factory. Approximately seven fire engines from the Thane fire brigade, two from Mira Bhayandar, and one from Bhiwandi were present at the scene. This incident was categorised as a “brigade call,” which is the highest level of alert in firefighting terms. More than 20  water tankers were used to control the fire, which lasted until 9 pm.

“The fire spread rapidly throughout the building due to the combustible materials inside. The presence of diesel and other flammable substances hindered fire control efforts. “Around eight commercial cooking cylinders exploded, further spreading the fire,” fire officials said. Around 60 firefighters and officials, along with the City Disaster Relief Force, were at the site. Till the time of going to press the fire had not yet been fully extinguished. Yasin Tadvi, Chief of Thane Disaster Relief Force, said, “Due to the quick response, the fire did not spread to nearby areas. However, the highly flammable materials inside contributed to the building’s complete involvement. The cause of the fire is still unknown.”