Team Goemkarponn
VASCO: A major fire broke out at Vasco’s Sunday Market late Wednesday night, destroying over 150 shops and stalls and causing extensive losses to traders who had stocked up merchandise for the upcoming Diwali festive season. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
The blaze erupted late at night and spread rapidly through the densely packed market, engulfing shops selling clothes, bags, footwear, utensils and other goods. Despite extensive firefighting efforts, most of the shops were completely gutted before the fire could be brought under control.
Firefighting teams from Vasco, Verna and the Mormugao Port Authority were deployed to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading further. The scale of the fire and the closely packed stalls posed a major challenge to the personnel involved in the operation.
The incident has left scores of traders facing heavy losses, with their merchandise and property reduced to ashes. Many vendors had stocked their shops in anticipation of increased sales during the Diwali season, making the destruction particularly devastating. The losses are feared to run into crores of rupees, although an official assessment is awaited.
The market fire occurred barely an hour after another blaze broke out at a car accessories shop behind Tilak Maidan, approximately a kilometre away. The second fire caused extensive damage to goods inside the shop and also damaged several vehicles parked in the vicinity.
Firefighters were deployed to tackle the two incidents and prevent further damage to nearby properties.
The back-to-back fires have raised concerns among market vendors over the adequacy of firefighting arrangements and the ability to tackle large-scale blazes in densely packed commercial areas. Affected traders questioned whether sufficient measures were in place to respond effectively to such emergencies and minimise losses.
With over 150 shops destroyed at the Sunday Market alone, the incident has dealt a severe blow to local traders ahead of Diwali, leaving many facing uncertainty over the recovery of their businesses and livelihoods.
