Blaze engulfs over 20 shops at Sethi Complex in Jaipur’s Tripolia Bazaar

Fire broke out at Sethi Complex in Maniharon Ka Katla in Jaipur’s Tripolia Bazaar on Thursday morning, engulfing more than 20 shops, police said.

The fire broke out around 7 am in cartons containing goods kept outside a garment shop on the second floor of the complex. It soon spread to adjoining establishments, including garment warehouses, plastic goods shops and bangle stores.

More than 15 fire tenders were deployed to contain the blaze. Firefighters faced difficulties because of the narrow lanes and the large quantity of combustible material stored inside the shops.

Power supply to the area was shut down as a precautionary measure. Fire-safety equipment installed in the building was also found to be non-functional.

Manak Chowk’s Station House Officer (SHO) Rakesh Khayalia said the preliminary investigation suggested that the fire was caused by a short circuit. “Most of the shops here deal in garments. Clothes kept in the corridors also caught fire,” he added.

Police and Jaipur Municipal Corporation officials were present at the spot. Khayalia said authorities would also check whether the shop owners had the required fire No Objection Certificates (NOCs).

Kishanpol MLA Amin Kagzi raised questions over the functioning of the municipal corporation, alleging that fire NOCs were being issued without proper inspections. He called for a fresh verification of fire NOCs issued to buildings in the walled city.