After fire scare, RMC seals unit in Soni Bazaar

Rajkot: Firefighters being hampered while battling a fire late on Friday night at a gold processing unit in Soni Bazaar prompted Rajkot Municipal Corporation to seal the premises on Tuesday, underlining a tougher civic stance on unauthorized commercial structures in the congested core of the city.

A fire broke out at a property named Diya Gold Polishing on Derasarwali Sheri, near Soni Bazaar Main Road, on Friday night.

Acting under the guidance of town planner H M Sorathia, the town planning department on Tuesday sealed the property, in Ward 7 of the Central Zone.

The RMC clarified that no goods were seized during the sealing process. Officials said the action followed findings of unauthorized construction carried by the property owner, Sanjay Luva. The sealing was carried out in the presence of officers of the town planning branch.

Civic officials said similar action against illegal constructions is likely to continue in the coming days, as the department has intensified checks to enforce urban development rules and prevent unauthorized commercial activity.

Fire department officials said they had rushed to the spot on being alerted about the blaze. Initial inquiries revealed that the fire was triggered by a short circuit during the gold melting process. The flames spread rapidly and reached the terrace, and a cylinder explosion was also reported.

Amit Dave, in-charge chief fire officer, told TOI that firefighters faced major access problems because of the narrow street. “There was no possibility of fire tenders reaching the spot, so a 700–800 foot hose had to be laid. Firefighting had to be carried out from the roof of a neighbouring property,” he said.

An estimated 40 firefighters worked for two hours to douse the blaze. The forensic science laboratory report on the exact cause of the fire is awaited.