Surat: A massive fire that broke out in the four-storey Shiv Shakti Textile Market on Wednesday morning has been doused after an over 30-hour-long firefighting operation. Meanwhile, out of over 800 shops located in the building, over 450 have been gutted due to the fire.

Firefighters are using hydraulic platforms to combat a massive blaze that erupted at Surat’s Shiv Shakti Textile Market on Wednesday morning, destroying nearly half of the shops, officials said. Due to concerns over the building’s structural stability, firefighting operations are being conducted from the outside.

The textile market houses 834 shops, primarily stocked with polyester sarees and other textile products. With adjacent buildings also being textile markets, preventing the fire from spreading further is a major challenge. Flames and thick smoke billowing from windows and passages have created a terrifying scene, while smoke has been visible across the city. Distraught traders were seen in tears as they watched their valuable stock go up in flames.

Today, while talking to media, Chief Fire Officer Basant Kumar Parikh said, “The temperature is extremely high inside because there was a lot of material kept there. We got the first call yesterday at around 8 AM. We are not sure about the stability of the structure of the building. We are using a hydraulic platform and trying to douse the fire from outside. Almost 50 percent of the stores have caught fire,”

At least 150 personnel, including 27 SFES firefighters and seven from Hazira industries, are involved in the operation, while the police manage crowd control and regulate traffic to ensure a smooth response.

Mayor Daxesh Mavani, Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal, and Deputy Mayor Narendra Patil visited the site to assess the situation. Agarwal confirmed that no one was trapped and that an SFES report would investigate how the fire reignited.

Surat Municipal Corporation Commissioner Shalini Agarwal said, “The day before yesterday, a fire was reported here in the evening and was extinguished. However, yesterday morning, another fire broke out, after which fire brigades have been continuously working on the site. All the large hydraulic machines and turntable ladders have been mobilized. Several firefighters from across all zones have been pooled and deployed here. The fire departments of major private companies like Reliance, ONGC, and AMNS have also been brought in. Water tankers are being continuously mobilized to ensure the availability of sufficient water. Many departments are working together, coordinating efforts between the fire department, police, and medical teams.”

“We also visited the site yesterday, and all departments have been working collaboratively to extinguish the fire. The decision to close nearby markets was taken unanimously by the traders, and our focus remains on dousing the fire,” the commissioner added.

The initial fire, which started in a basement shop on Tuesday, had spread to five other shops before being controlled. Firefighters completed their operation, including the cooling process, and declared the situation under control. However, the fire reignited on Wednesday morning, rapidly spreading to multiple upper-floor shops. DeshGujarat