"Indian Coast Guard ships continue to fight the fire and attempt to bring the inferno on the container ship MV WAN HAI 503 under control off the Kerala coast. Visible flames have reduced, and thick smoke continues to emanate as of 1700 hrs today," the Indian Coast Guard said.
Images circulating on social media showed flames and thick smoke rising from the affected area, drawing the attention of locals and emergency responders. Residents quickly alerted authorities and attempted to control the blaze before it could spread further.
According to an official, the fire broke out in a tyre factory in the Gadaipur area of Jalandhar. He said that the fire tenders rushed to the spot to douse the flames after the fire department received information about the incident at around 5:15 in the morning.
"We could not enter the building through the main gate as it was engulfed in flames, so we broke the shutter to go inside. Then, five to six of us broke through a wall and entered the first floor. But the whole place was engulfed in flames."
According to the Delhi Fire Service, 11 fire tenders rushed to the site to douse the flames. The fire, which broke out in the college library, was brought under control around 9:40 AM.
The fire erupted at 12:25 pm on Tuesday (local time). As many as 22 fire trucks and 85 firefighters were dispatched to the site of the incident, where they swiftly extinguished the flames and carried out search-and-rescue operations.