UP: Fire in Hathras cold storage rages on after 80 hours, losses estimated at Rs 40-50 crore

Hathras (UP), Apr 4 (PTI) More than 80 hours have passed since a massive fire broke out in a cold storage in this Uttar Pradesh district but the blaze remains uncontrolled, officials said on Friday.

The fire, which started in a chamber of the Shri Hari Cold Storage storing grocery items, has already caused an estimated loss of Rs 40 to Rs 50 50 crore. Apart from potatoes, the facility located in the Sasni Kotwali area of Hathras also housed dry fruits, spices and other essential goods, according to its owners.

The fire was reported around 2 am on the night of April 1. The cold-storage owners immediately alerted police and the fire department, and fire-fighting operations are ongoing since then. Fire brigade teams and personnel from neighbouring districts have been called in, along with fire-safety experts. Despite these efforts, the flames continue to rage on and multiple walls of the facility have been broken down in an attempt to contain the fire, the officials said.

Late on Thursday night, District Magistrate Rahul Pandey and Superintendent of Police Chiranjiv Nath Sinha visited the cold storage to assess the situation. Officials on the site were given further instructions to expedite the fire-fighting efforts.

"We have deployed additional machines and personnel from nearby districts to control the fire," Fire Officer R K Vajpayee said.

The DM has directed all departments concerned to take swift action to bring the situation under control, he added.

One of the cold-storage owners, Sunil Agarwal, confirmed that the facility has five chambers, one of which contained dry fruits, chilies and spices stored by local traders and shopkeepers.

"We estimate the losses to be around Rs 40 to Rs 50 crore," he said, adding that potatoes belonging to farmers and traders are now being moved to other storage locations.

Alongside police and the district administration, traders and farmers have also gathered at the site, anxiously monitoring the situation.

The exact extent of the damage can only be assessed once the fire is extinguished, the officials said. PTI COR KIS RC