 "Fire engulfs firecracker shops in Ahmedabad, people moved to safety")
A massive fire broke out in firecracker shops located in an industrial area in Ahmedabad city of Gujarat on Wednesday, prompting officials to evacuate several people from nearby residential areas as a precautionary measure.
Two fire brigade officials sustained minor injuries due to the bursting of firecrackers, officials said.
Officials said thick smoke engulfed the Vikas Estate area in Bapunagar locality where the affected shops are located. Panic gripped nearby residential areas due to the intermittent bursting of crackers in the fire.
More than a dozen fire tenders have been rushed to the spot, they said.
"The blaze erupted in a firecracker shop before spreading to adjacent godowns. Our priority is to prevent the fire from spreading to residential areas surrounding Vikas Estate," a fire brigade official said.
He said several people were evacuated from their houses as a precautionary measure even as thick smoke engulfed Bapunagar.
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The exact number of evacuees cannot be known immediately.
"All fire tenders are on the spot. Police have evacuated residents in surrounding localities and we are ensuring that people do not come near the affected area. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Police will take action," DCP (Zone 3) Sushil Agrawal said.
Prima facie, firecrackers were stored in commercial shops in the industrial estate.
"We are yet to ascertain whether they had the proper licence to store crackers. We will investigate," he said.
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