AHMEDABAD: Fire at Shivshakti Textile Market in Gujarat's Surat has been tamed after a relentless 32-hour battle.
Over 40 fire trucks pumped more than 40 lakh litres of water to douse the flames. Cooling operations are now underway.
The fire first broke out in the market’s basement on February 25 and was initially contained. However, it reignited around 7 am on February 26, rapidly escalating into a raging inferno.
The devastation is massive—over 800 shops were engulfed, with 450 reduced to ashes. Traders estimate losses between Rs 300 to Rs 400 crore, making this one of Surat’s worst market fires in recent history.
"Shivshakti Market is primarily a saree hub," said Vimal Singhi, former president of Shivshakti Textile Market. "Nearly 90% of the goods here are supplied to South Indian traders."
"Key trades include nylon dupattas, nylon polyester sarees, and wedding sarees," Singhi added. "Traders purchase grey cloth, send it for saree production, and the finished sarees return to the market—keeping the supply of both grey cloth and sarees consistently high."
"The stock in shops is massive, but we have no clue when they'll reopen," said trader Nemaram. "Millionaires have been reduced to paupers."
"Traders are facing losses in crores," he added. "There's no certainty on reopening—it's all in the hands of the officials now."
"A major call was issued after the fire broke out in Shivshakti Market," said Surat Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal earlier while interacting with local media. "Fire teams are making every effort to control it using Hydrolink machines and other equipment."
"Water tankers have been deployed to prevent shortages," she added. "We are coordinating with the collector, police, and teams from Reliance, ONGC, Hazira, and AIIMS. Medical teams are also on standby."
The fire teams focused on controlling the blaze from outside due to extreme heat inside," said Chief Fire Officer Basat Parik.
"Synthetic fabric fueled the fire, making it harder to contain," he added. "Teams used hydraulic and gas cutters, but with three people per shop and soaring temperatures, progress was slow."