Ahmedabad: A major fire broke out at a commercial complex in the Shyamal area on Monday morning, gutting nearly 20 vehicles and triggering a large-scale rescue operation. Officials confirmed that around 50 people were safely evacuated, and no casualties were reported.The incident occurred at Shangrila-2 Arcade near Shyamal Crossroads. The blaze is suspected to have originated near an ATM kiosk of a private bank on the ground floor. According to fire officials, the flames spread rapidly and moved through the structure, reaching upper floors and engulfing parts of the building, including a gym.The fire extended to the HR Fitness gym on an upper floor, where around 30 people were present. Fire personnel rushed to the scene and conducted a coordinated rescue operation, safely evacuating those trapped with ladders and other emergency equipment.Chief fire officer Amit Dongre said the operation to douse the flames and carry out cooling measures lasted for more than two hours. “The fire started at the ground level and spread upwards. A total of 22 fire tenders and about 65 personnel from the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services were deployed at the site,” he said, adding that timely action helped prevent any loss of life.Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as the fire spread within minutes. A woman working in an office on the second floor said she noticed the blaze while entering the complex to park her vehicle. “I immediately alerted others and moved away. Within a short time, the flames became uncontrollable. Some people tried to move their vehicles, but the fire spread too quickly,” she said.Police cordoned off the area to prevent crowding and ensure smooth firefighting operations. The road from Shyamal Crossroads towards Prahladnagar was temporarily closed, leading to traffic diversions.The entire complex has been evacuated and will remain shut until further notice. Police and forensic teams have begun an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.
