A blaze erupted in proximity of gate no 9 of the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) complex in Bhopal on Thursday and continued for sometime. The fire started around 11:30 am in a waste material area and then spread to tree roots, where it was controlled. BHEL management attributed the fire to dry trees and waste burning, stating no oil was there nearby. Plants and trees were impacted by the fire in the zone, described as a jungle patch separate from the factory and township. Two fire tenders were rushed to the site, which is a waste dump close to the boundary wall near gate number 9. It is around 1 kilometre away from the block (building of the unit),” BHEL Public Relations Officer Vinodanand Jha informed.

 

Another official of BHEL, a Maharatna PSU, said, that the BHEL safety committee will probe the cause of the fire, though prima facie it appears someone may have thrown a lit cigarette or bidi. Fire personnel contained the spread of the fire by 2 pm, Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s Fire Officer Saurabh Patel said. Hotspots remained during the afternoon, with smoke visible in the air. The cause of the fire has not been identified. Officials, including District Collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh, Govindpura SDM Ravish Srivastava, and Minister Vishwas Sarang reached the the location and asked officials to ensure the blaze does not get revived in view of the searing heat in the city. Entry to the area was restricted.