Fire breaks out in firecracker shops in Dhar:20 shops, 5 houses burnt; spark ignites blaze, three people injured

A massive fire broke out at the weekly market in Bilda village, located 15 km from Gandhwani in Dhar district on Friday. The fire originated in firecracker shops and quickly spread, engulfing over 20 shops. Panic ensued among shopkeepers and visitors, resulting in three people getting injured. According to local trader Shabbir Bohra, the fire started around noon and continued until 4 p.m. A motorbike also caught fire during the blaze, causing an estimated loss of ₹50 lakh. In addition to the shops, five nearby houses were also damaged. By around 4:30 p.m., the fire was brought under control. Visuals of incident Spark from firecrackers ignited blaze Eyewitnesses reported that a child was handling firecrackers in one shop when a spark fell onto nearby firecrackers. Within minutes, the flames spread rapidly to adjacent shops. Despite the fast-spreading fire, local residents and fire personnel acted promptly, preventing the fire from causing even greater damage to the crowded market and surrounding residential areas. The Gandhwani Tehsildar also visited the site after receiving reports of the incident to assess the situation.