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Pune: Fire breaks out at Phoenix Mall in Viman Nagar | Videos
Fire at Pune's Phoenix Mall: As many as six fire engines rushed to the spot, said Pune Fire Department PRO.
A major fire broke out at Phoenix Mall in Pune's Viman Nagar area on Friday afternoon. As many as six fire engines rushed to the spot, said Pune Fire Department PRO.
There has been no reports of any casualties so far.
Visuals surfaced on social media from the scene purportedly show thick black smoke emitting from the mall as fire authorities attempt to douse the fire.
News18 reported that an official of the fire department said the fire broke out at a restaurant on the third floor of the Phoenix Mall, causing heavy smoke and said the restaurant was completely closed after the Covid-19 pandemic. It added the fire extinguisher in the mall was operational which prevented the fire from spreading.
Phoenix Marketcity Pune is an integrated mixed-use development incorporating shopping, dining, movies, entertainment and others, its website says.
"Phoenix Marketcity is Pune’s hottest, largest and the only lifestyle, shopping and entertainment destination. It brings together, under one roof, an unimaginable collection of diverse offerings matching the needs of a modernizing city, the ultimate blend of traditional and modern shopping. The mall consists of sprawling courtyard, hypermarket, departmental, bookstore; kids play zone, electronics, toy stores and PVR Cinemas,” the website says.
The record high temperatures in Pune have coincided with a rise in the number of fires breaking out across the city. While there has been no discernible pattern in the number of fires over the years, there has been a gradual increase in the number of fires in the past four months.
In January and February 2024, there were 425 and 481 fires, respectively. However, March and April saw an alarming increase in numbers with 572 fire incidents in March and 440 in the first half of April alone.
The fire department shared the numbers with Hindustan Times, indicating that with higher temperatures, there has also been a rise in the number of fire incidents. Most of these incidents, according to the fire brigade department, have been the result of garbage fires. One-hundred-and-twenty garbage fires were reported in March and 75 in the beginning of April alone.
Fire at NTPC plant in Jharkhand
In an unrelated incident, a massive fire broke out at NTPC's North Karanpura super thermal power plant in Jharkhand's Chatra district on Friday.
The fire was first spotted around 2pm, officials told news agency PTI.
"The fire broke out at the BHEL material yard of unit 3 in the power plant. So far no casualty has been reported," a senior BHEL official told PTI.
Efforts are underway to douse the blaze, he said. The installation is a 660X3 mw coal-based power plant. NTPC is the country's largest power generation company.
