Bhubaneswar: A massive fire that engulfed a supermarket near Lingipur in Dhauli area of Bhubaneswar on Monday night was finally brought under control after nearly 18 hours of relentless firefighting operations.
Since the smokes are still bellowing from the building, a fire brigade team has been kept on standby at the market complex.
“We could contain the fire by 4 pm. There was only one entry and exit. We had to enter the four-storey building by breaking two walls. They did not have the mandatory fire No Objection Certificate (NOC). An inquiry will be carried out into how the fire broke out,” Deputy Fire Officer Narayan Dash told the media.
According to sources, the blaze broke out on the third floor of the multi-storey supermarket building at around 10.30 pm on Monday, quickly spreading and engulfing stored goods. Local residents spotted thick smoke and towering flames, and alerted fire services. Around 40 fire tenders rushed to the scene and launched a large-scale operation. Two employees, who were trapped in the mall, were rescued using a hydraulic crane.
More than 60 fire personnel were deployed for the operation.
A significant stock of combustible household items, particularly plastic and rubber, contributed to the spread of fire and prolonged the burning. The firefighters drilled large holes and broke portions of the structure to release smoke. A remote-controlled robot was sent inside to suppress the fire from within. Fire-suppression foam was also used to contain the flames, which destroyed property worth crores of rupees.
Although the fire caused no injuries or deaths, it has reignited widespread discussions about fire safety compliance in the city’s fast-expanding landscape. Urban safety specialists and civic activists voiced serious concerns over commercial establishments in the city without valid fire safety certificates.
Ekamra MLA Babu Singh, who visited the incident site in Lingipur, acknowledged the broader systemic failure. “I applaud the efforts of the fire services department in containing the blaze. The incident is a wake-up call, and enforcement and awareness will be carried out extensively about fire safety compliance,” he said while pledging assistance to the impacted business.
Similar fire mishaps have been reported in the city in the recent past. While a major engulfed the top floor of a three-storey building at Satya Vihar on December 12, 2025, blaze broke out in the library room of a flat on the second floor of an apartment at Jharpada on February 13.
