Bhopal: A major fire broke out on Sunday evening at the Varun Enterprises cardboard manufacturing unit located in H Sector, Adarsh Nagar of Bhopal’s Govindpura Industrial Area. The blaze started around 7 PM and continued to smoulder for nearly 12 hours, with smoke still rising from the site until 7 AM on Monday.
The fire spread rapidly due to the large quantity of paper rolls and plastic stored inside the factory, prompting immediate evacuation of the nearby slum area. Firefighters first secured the slum to prevent the flames from reaching it before focusing on controlling the blaze inside the factory. Over 50 fire engines, tankers, and firefighting personnel were deployed, including 10 fire fighters, two water bowsers, and eight tankers, each making five refilling rounds.
Since the factory was closed for Sunday, its gate was locked. Firefighters had to break the lock to enter. A tin shed roof collapsed during the fire, complicating entry. A JCB machine was brought in to remove the debris and allow firefighting efforts to continue.
The fire was largely under control by Monday morning, though some areas continued to smoulder. Fire vehicles remained stationed on-site as a precaution. The incident created panic in the area, with slum residents standing outside their homes late into the night.
Police from Ashoka Garden police station also reached the spot. The cause of the fire is still unknown. Notably, this is the second such incident in the industrial area this year—on March 1, a fire had broken out at a chemical factory nearby, which also took over seven hours to douse.
