Inferno in Fatehpur: Vehicle Yard Devastated in Massive Blaze

A massive fire broke out at a vehicle yard in Fatehpur's Malwa area on Tuesday afternoon, gutting at least 12 seized trucks and several other vehicles, fire services officials said, adding that no casualties were reported.

The blaze erupted in Saura village, where over 100 seized and repossessed vehicles, including trucks and auto rickshaws, were parked.

Preliminary findings suggested that an 11-kilovolt high-tension power line snapped and fell into a nearby field, sparking a fire in dry vegetation that quickly spread to the yard.

Within minutes, flames engulfed rows of parked vehicles, sending a thick black smoke billowing into the sky and triggering panic among workers and locals.

Rajeev Patel, a yard worker, told police that six to seven employees were present when the fire broke out.

''There was no water arrangement inside the yard, so we could do very little to control the flames,'' he added.

Police officials said around 12 trucks, two pick-up vehicles and several other heavy vehicles were completely destroyed in the fire. Yard operators estimated the losses at between Rs 2.5 crore and Rs 3 crore.

The yard allegedly lacked a mandatory fire department no-objection certificate (NOC), raising serious questions over safety compliance, an official said on the condition of anonymity.

Chief Fire Officer (Fatehpur) Jasveer Singh said multiple fire tenders were rushed to the spot and managed to bring the blaze under control after nearly 90 minutes of operation.

''Prima facie, the fire appears to have started after a high-tension wire snapped near the yard. The exact cause is under investigation,'' he added.

Police have launched a probe to determine whether negligence, electrical failure or other lapses led to the incident.