Jabalpur: A massive fire broke out in the Lema Garden slum settlement in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, around 3:00 AM between Friday and Saturday. The blaze consumed the residents’ food grains, cash, clothing, and their life savings. It took 10 to 12 fire tenders and hours of strenuous effort to bring the fire under control by early morning.
What should have been a time of Diwali celebrations turned into a disaster on the night of Dhanteras. A fierce fire erupted at midnight in the slum settlement located at the Ghazi Nagar ground in Lema Garden, quickly escalating into a massive inferno. More than 50 families saw their homes consumed by the flames.
The fire broke out in the settlement—which consists of approximately 350 shanties—while most residents were fast asleep. Panic ensued as flames suddenly shot up; residents fled their homes barefoot, carrying their children and family members. Many families did not even have the chance to retrieve their belongings. Within moments, the fire engulfed numerous shanties. As a precautionary measure, the electricity company cut off power supply to the entire settlement.
According to firefighter Omprakash Srivastava, the team managed to bring the blaze largely under control after a difficult struggle. Upon receiving the alert, teams from the Municipal Corporation’s fire department arrived at the scene, acting on instructions from the police control room. A firefighting operation was launched using 10 to 12 fire tenders and water tankers. The fire crews worked to contain the blaze, continuously spraying water to prevent it from spreading to neighboring shanties.
Former corporator Tahir Ali stated that he received information about the fire around 3:00 AM. It is suspected that the fire was initially caused by a short circuit. It was noted that similar fire incidents have occurred in this settlement several times in the past. CSP Akhilesh Gaur stated that police personnel arrived at the scene and took charge of relief and rescue operations. Preliminary assessments indicated that 30 to 35 shanties were completely gutted, though it is reported that more than 50 families have been affected by the blaze.
This fire left many families homeless in a single night. Homes where preparations for Diwali were underway have now been reduced to piles of ash. Everything—from household provisions and essential goods to assets accumulated through years of hard work—was consumed by the fire. The administration is currently assessing the extent of the damage; the full scale of the loss will only be known once the fire has been completely extinguished and the site has cooled down.
