A massive fire broke out at a multi-storey textile market in Surat around midnight, damaging more than a dozen shops and leaving a firefighter injured, officials said on Wednesday. The blaze erupted at the Shyam Sangini textile market and affected shops located on the sixth floor of the building. The fire reportedly spread across several establishments after synthetic goods kept outside the shops caught fire, according to local traders.

A large firefighting operation was launched to bring the blaze under control. As many as 25 firefighting vehicles, along with turntable ladders and hydraulic platforms, were deployed at the market. Nearly 150 fire personnel and officers took part in the operation.

Chief Fire Officer Basant Pareek said the firefighting teams worked for around seven to eight hours before the blaze was brought under control. The scale of the response reflected the challenges posed by the fire in the multi-storey commercial building and the presence of textile materials.

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One firefighter was injured during the operation and was taken to hospital after his health condition deteriorated, the official said. The incident prompted an extensive response from the fire department as teams worked to prevent the flames from spreading further within the market.

Local traders reported that synthetic goods stored outside the shops on the sixth floor were destroyed in the fire. The blaze subsequently spread to several establishments, causing damage to more than a dozen shops. Further details on the extent of property and goods losses were not immediately available.

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