Showcasing round-the-clock vigilance, the Odisha Fire & Emergency Services successfully managed a series of critical operations over the past 24 hours, highlighted by the swift containment of a major market fire in Sundaragada district.
A sudden fire broke out at the bustling Panposh Daily Market, threatening densely packed commercial stalls. Acting on immediate distress calls, firefighting units from both the Panposh and Raurkela Fire Stations rushed to the scene. Thanks to a well-coordinated joint operation, firefighters acted quickly to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to adjacent shops before completely extinguishing the flames. No major casualties were reported from the incident.
Beyond the marketplace emergency, state emergency personnel remained on high alert across urban and rural sectors, handling a wide array of public safety operations:
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Fires and Collisions: Crews responded to 29 fire incidents across the state, bringing the monthly total to 598. Additionally, 8 road accident calls were attended, resulting in the safe rescue of 7 individuals (bringing the monthly rescue tally to 587).
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Water & Lifesaving Operations: Emergency response teams answered 6 drowning incidents, successfully recovering 4 bodies and saving 1 life, pushing the month’s live rescues to 90. Furthermore, 1 dewatering call was addressed.
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Animal Welfare & Public Safety: Demonstrating compassion for wildlife and domestic animals, personnel attended 61 animal rescue calls, safely saving 59 animals (with a monthly total reaching 2,316). Crews also cleared 12 fallen trees and obstructions to restore smooth traffic flow.
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Human Rescues: Teams successfully attended 5 miscellaneous human rescue calls, safely extracting 6 individuals.
Officials noted that the year-to-year statistics reflect the unwavering dedication of the force, with Odisha Fire & Emergency Services having safely rescued a total of 8,308 persons and 16,555 animals so far this year.
