A massive fire broke out at a wax manufacturing factory in the Santej industrial area of Kalol taluka in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district on Friday evening, triggering panic in the locality and leading to a major emergency response operation.
The blaze reportedly erupted at a unit identified as “Faith” company located in the Santej industrial estate. Officials said the fire spread rapidly because of the large quantity of wax and other highly combustible materials stored inside the factory premises. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky and was visible from several kilometres away, causing panic among workers and residents in nearby areas.
As the intensity of the fire increased, the fire department declared a “major call”, following which firefighting teams from Ahmedabad and nearby municipalities were rushed to the spot. Multiple fire tenders were deployed and firefighting operations continued for several hours late into the evening. Authorities said the factory manufactured wax, plastic, and other industrial products, which accelerated the spread of the flames due to the intense heat generated inside the unit.
Officials stated that nearby factories in the industrial estate were also impacted due to the spread of the fire, following which surrounding units were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Three persons sustained injuries during the incident and were shifted to Sola Civil Hospital for treatment. Their condition is reported to be stable. Meanwhile, officials from Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services said the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Santej Police and local administrative teams also reached the spot and cordoned off the area to assist rescue and firefighting operations.