A fire broke out at a shop inside Jina Bhai Chambers in the narrow lanes of Manek Chowk in Ahmedabad on Friday evening after an air-conditioning unit allegedly exploded, triggering panic among traders and residents.
Preliminary reports suggest the blaze started within the commercial premises located in one of the congested bylanes of the old city. Shopkeepers and passers-by rushed out after hearing a loud blast, believed to have originated from the AC unit, as flames quickly spread inside the shop.
Teams from the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services were rushed to the spot and began firefighting operations. However, officials and locals said reaching the site proved challenging due to heavy congestion and narrow approach roads in the busy market area.
Witnesses reported significant delays in the movement of emergency vehicles, with fire tenders struggling to navigate the crowded lanes of Manek Chowk.
Residents and traders raised concerns over persistent traffic bottlenecks in the locality, noting that not only fire engines but even ambulances face difficulty passing through during emergencies. “The traffic situation here is so bad that even ambulances cannot move freely. Today, the fire brigade also faced major difficulty in reaching the spot,” a local trader said.
Fire officials are yet to determine the exact cause of the explosion and assess the extent of damage to the shop and nearby units. No casualties or injuries had been reported at the time of filing this report.
Police personnel have also reached the scene to assist with crowd control and traffic management, while cooling operations continue.