A fire erupted at the Nehru Bangla Fishing Harbour in Paradip, Odisha, on Thursday, destroying 12 large boats and over five engine-powered indigenous boats. While no fatalities have been reported, the cause of the fire remains unknown. The fire began around 5 pm at jetty number 1 and rapidly spread to nearby vessels. Approximately 10 fire tenders were deployed to extinguish the flames. The situation worsened due to explosions from cooking gas cylinders and diesel tanks, as each boat contained over 3,000 litres of diesel, creating a highly combustible environment in a harbour housing around 1,050 boats.
Paradip:
A fire erupted at the Nehru Bangla Fishing Harbour in Odisha’s Paradip on Thursday, according to police reports.
While no fatalities have been reported so far, 12 large vessels and more than five engine-powered indigenous boats were entirely consumed by the fire, the cause of which remains unclear, officials indicated.
At least 10 fire trucks have been deployed to manage the situation, as stated by a police officer.
The blaze ignited around 5 pm on a boat at jetty number 1 and rapidly spread to adjacent vessels.
With approximately 650 large boats and 400 indigenous ones docked at the harbour, the incident presents a severe risk, according to the officer.
“The situation deteriorated as cooking gas cylinders and diesel tanks on the boats exploded. Each vessel held over 3,000 litres of diesel, in addition to fishing gear, creating a highly volatile environment,” a fire department official noted.
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