Overview
- A large blaze broke out late Wednesday night near Tilak Maidan and spread to the Vasco Sunday Market, sending thick smoke over the area and gutting dozens of shops.
- Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and other senior officials visited the scene as firefighters worked through the night to contain hotspots and prevent further spread.
- Officials say more than 150 vendors used to operate at the market and shopkeepers have reported collective stock losses they estimate in the crores.
- The exact cause remains under investigation, with a short circuit suspected in a separate car accessories-shop fire about an hour earlier that was roughly 1 km away.
- The market mixes permanent shops and closely packed weekly stalls, a layout that raises fire risk and makes formal damage assessments and government relief decisions the key next steps.