Massive Fire Engulfs City Dhaba in Guwahati's Bhangagarh Area

GUWAHATI — A massive fire ripped through a commercial stretch in Guwahati’s bustling Bhangagarh area early Saturday morning, completely gutting the popular City Dhaba outlet and causing severe damage to at least four adjacent shops.

The incident reportedly began in the early hours of the morning when a loud explosion—suspected to be a commercial gas cylinder blast inside the City Dhaba kitchen—rattled the quiet neighborhood. Within minutes, raging flames engulfed the eatery before rapidly spreading to neighboring commercial establishments along the strip.

Thick plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky, alerting local residents and patrolling police personnel, who immediately raised the alarm. Fire and Emergency Services deployed multiple fire tenders to the scene to combat the escalating blaze. Firefighters worked for several hours to contain the inferno, preventing it from spreading further into nearby residential buildings and larger commercial complexes in the high-density Bhangagarh sector.

While detailed assessments are still underway, preliminary reports confirm that at least five shops suffered extensive structural and inventory damage. Emergency officials reported no immediate human fatalities at the scene, as the explosion occurred before morning business hours when the establishments were largely unoccupied.

Local police and forensic experts have cordoned off the area to determine the precise sequence of events leading to the blast. Authorities are looking into whether proper safety protocols and gas cylinder storage norms were maintained at the venue. Traffic along the main corridor was temporarily diverted during the morning operation to clear the way for emergency vehicles.

Community leaders and local business associations have voiced deep concern following the incident, urging municipal authorities to enforce stricter safety audits for all dining establishments across Guwahati. With many dhabas operating in closely packed commercial clusters, shop owners are calling for mandatory annual inspections of gas pipelines, commercial cylinder setups, and fire suppression systems to prevent similar disasters in the future.

Meanwhile, the affected shop owners face significant financial losses as they take stock of charred inventories and damaged infrastructure. Local business groups are planning to petition the state government for immediate relief funds and rehabilitation assistance, while district officials promised a swift investigation to hold any non-compliant parties accountable once forensic findings are finalized.

Published by Banx Network. This article is part of the Banx decentralized media programme, powered by the BXE token on the XRP Ledger.