Surat

A major fire broke out in Gujarat's Surat city on Thursday morning, damaging several electric vehicles and gutting an EV showroom along with three neighbouring commercial establishments, officials said.

No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident, which occurred in the Adajan area of the city.

The blaze triggered panic among residents and shopkeepers as thick smoke and flames engulfed the locality. According to officials, the fire originated inside the electric vehicle showroom and spread rapidly, fuelled by batteries and spare components stored on the premises.

Several electric vehicles parked inside the showroom were destroyed in the fire.

The city's fire control room received an alert about the incident at around 9.30 am, following which firefighting teams from five to six fire stations were rushed to the spot.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer S.G. Dhobi said firefighters had to break open the shutters of the affected establishments to gain access and prevent the flames from spreading further.

"The fire appears to have started in the EV showroom and subsequently spread to nearby businesses, including a medicine shop, an ice cream outlet and a fast-food store. By the time our teams arrived, three adjoining shops had already caught fire," Dhobi said.

Fire personnel launched an extensive operation to contain the blaze, which took nearly two hours before it was brought under control.

Authorities said the exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined and an investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances that led to the incident.

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Officials are also assessing the extent of property damage caused by the fire.