Guwahati: Gandhibasti Blaze Sparks Public Fury Over Fire Service Response

"We called so many times—why didn’t they answer? Everything I had is gone..."

That raw cry of loss echoed across Gandhibasti Tiniali in Guwahati on Thursday morning, after a massive fire gutted a home and reduced years of belongings, documents, and jewellery to ashes. The fire, believed to have been triggered by multiple cylinder blasts, has left behind not just charred walls—but also a neighbourhood fuming in anger.

Locals have accused the fire department of a slow and ill-equipped response, saying the delay allowed the fire to spiral out of control.

“They brought only one fire tender, and that too with barely any water. The machine wasn’t working properly,” said one resident. “By the time they came, it was too late. Everything was gone.”

Eyewitnesses described frantically calling emergency numbers, only to be met with silence. “We kept calling, again and again. No one picked up. Why? What were they doing?” asked another resident, still in shock as she stood amid the ruins.

The fire broke out around dawn, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky and triggering panic in the densely populated neighbourhood. While no casualties or injuries were reported, the material and emotional losses have been severe.

Residents are now demanding accountability, calling this incident a failure of basic civic response in a vulnerable urban area. Many are questioning how such a critical emergency service could arrive underprepared—and how many more tragedies it will take before systemic reforms are made.

ALSO READ: Major Fire at Gandhi Basti after Suspected Cylinder Blasts