Mumbai, Thane: A massive fire broke out at a market building in Thane early Thursday morning, killing a firefighter and a security guard while leaving two others seriously injured, officials said.

According to the Thane Municipal Corporation, the fire started around 3:45 a.m. at the Gamdevi Vegetable Market building on Gokhale Road in the Naupada area.

As most residents were asleep when the blaze began, the fire initially went unnoticed and rapidly spread through the market complex, which housed vegetable stalls as well as clothing shops.

Panic in Area as Flames Engulf Market

Residents noticed towering flames and thick smoke rising from the market and alerted the fire department. Soon after receiving the information, six fire tenders were rushed to the spot and firefighting operations began immediately.

During the rescue and firefighting operation, two personnel lost their lives.

The deceased were identified as Sagar Shinde (43), a Station Officer with the Thane Fire Brigade, and Kalu Shankar Gadekar (53), a security guard employed by the Municipal Corporation.

Two Fire Personnel Sustain Severe Burn Injuries

Two other fire brigade personnel were seriously injured in the incident. Officials identified them as Station Officer Sujit Pashte (45) and Squad Leader Sameer Jadhav (40).

Both injured officials were admitted to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital for treatment of severe burn injuries.

Firefighters Continue Cooling Operations

Firefighters continued cooling and containment operations for several hours to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby structures.

Authorities said the exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and an investigation into the incident is underway.