Surat, November 7 – A devastating fire at a gym and spa located in Surat’s upscale Citilight area’s Fortune Mall has exposed major safety lapses. The incident, which took place on Wednesday evening, revealed that the gym and spa were operating without a Fire No Objection Certificate (NOC). Furthermore, there was only one shared entry and exit point, with no emergency exit in place. This oversight could have led to a major tragedy similar to the Rajkot fire incident, but fortunately, the gym was closed for vacation, sparing the usual crowd of over 150 daily visitors.
The fire broke out in the gym before spreading to the adjoining Amritaya Spa, which was separated by a plywood partition. Trapped in the spa, two women, identified as Binung Hangama Limbu and Manisha Roy from Sikkim, lost their lives due to suffocation. According to officials, both women sought refuge in the bathroom, where they succumbed to smoke inhalation. While three people managed to escape, these two employees were unable to make it out in time. The Surat Fire Department has begun sealing the gym and spa, and police are stationed at the site.
Divisional Fire Officer Krishna Modh stated that the gym had previously received a notice in August 2024 as part of a state-wide fire safety inspection following the Rajkot Game Zone fire incident in May. The gym’s NOC had expired on October 15, 2023, and had not been renewed. As an assembly space, the gym was required to maintain an active fire NOC, making the violation a serious concern. Additional safety violations have now come to light, underscoring a critical need for stricter enforcement of fire safety regulations in public facilities.
