The Fire Department personnel rescued 20 National Security Guard (NSG) commandos trapped in a fire, which erupted in a commercial complex Saturday morning in Surat, said the officers familiar with the matter. No casualties were reported during the incident, said the officers, adding that they are trying to ascertain the reason behind the fire. The NSG was in Surat to carry out mock drills at multiple locations in the city, including Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB). According to police sources, the NSG commandos were sleeping in their hotel rooms when the fire erupted. The NSG team, which had arrived in Surat on March 26, had planned to carry out mock drills at different vital locations across the city, said sources. On March 27 afternoon, they had successfully carried out a mock drill at Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT) and at V R Mall on Surat Dumas Road. On Friday, the NSG teams had planned a mock drill at SDB, said police sources. According to the mock drill format, sources said, the terrorists were supposed to be holding around six diamond merchants hostage on the ninth floor of A wing of SDB. Along with NSG, Surat police, Fire Department and medical team from Surat New Civil Hospital were stationed at the bottom of the said wing. Sources said the mock drill started at 8.30 pm and lasted until 2.30 am on Saturday. Police sources said that NSG commandos conducted the mock rescue of all six hostages and ‘neutralised’ the terrorists. After finishing the task, the NSG reached the JMD Hotel at Excel SS Complex on Bhimrad Canal Road in Vesu area at 3.30 am on Saturday, where they were given accommodation facilities, said sources. According to the Fire Department sources, a fire broke out at Shop No 122, on the second floor of the same complex, following which, smoke started emitting and within a few minutes, it reached the fourth floor, where the NSG commandos were accommodated inside the JMD hotel. Providing details of the incident, Surat Chief Fire Officer Basant Pareek said, “We received a call at 4.50 am on Saturday about a fire incident. Within ten minutes, our teams reached the spot where they came in contact with the NSG commandos who were able to leave their rooms after the blaze erupted”. “The NSG commands informed the Fire Department officers about the rest of their team, which was trapped on the fourth floor of the hotel. The Fire Department teams doused the flames while simultaneously rescuing the commands, all in an hour,” Pareek said. “While 20 commandos, trapped on the fourth floor of the complex, were rescued using the hydraulic platform of firefighters, the other commandos, with their arms and ammunition, were rescued and safely brought to the ground floor,” the Chief Fire Officer said. “At least 10 fire tenders were used to douse the blaze. Later, our teams reached the fourth floor and cleared the smoke from different rooms. Our teams also rescued two families who were staying with the hotel,” Pareek said. Pareek added, “Initially, we thought that it was a part of the mock drill, however, later when the flames started spreading, we realised it was an actual fire incident. Nobody was injured during the incident. According to the probe, the fire broke out in Shop No. 122 on the second floor. The cause of the fire is still not known but we suspect that a short circuit may have led to the blaze. A probe into the matter is underway.” An official of SDB, on the condition of anonymity, said, “The NSG had planned mock drills at vital locations in the city, and SDB was one of them. The mock drill was conducted during the night when all the offices were closed. Our teams were also present and assisted the NSG and police. The mock drill was carried out successfully and ended at 2.30 am. This is the first mock drill conducted on SDB premises.”
