THANE: More than 1,000 wedding guests escaped without any injury after a fire broke out at a banquet hall in Maharashtra's Thane city, officials said on Friday.
The incident occurred around 11 pm on Thursday at the marriage hall premises in the Ovala area along the Ghodbunder Road in the city, they said.
According to Yasin Tadvi, chief of the Disaster Management Cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation, Mandap decoration materials kept outside a cabin on the lawn of 'The Blue Roof Club' caught fire. A wedding reception was underway at the venue at the time.
The official said that 1,000 to 1,200 guests had gathered at the venue at the time of the incident.
"As soon as the fire was noticed, guests were safely moved out of the venue, preventing any casualties," he said.
Fire officials said timely alertness and swift evacuation played a key role in "averting a major tragedy".
The firefighting operation involved two fire engines, one rescue vehicle, and one utility vehicle.
An official said the fire was extinguished by around midnight.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, he added.