Bazarghat fire mishap: Government warns people against storing hazardous chemicals in residential areas
The department issued an advisory following the accident in which nine people died and several others received burn injuries and suffered smoke inhalation-related problems
HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Service Department, giving details of the major fire accident that took place at Balaji residence in Bazarghat of Lakdikapul in Hyderabad on Monday morning warned people from storing hazardous materials and chemicals in residential areas.
The department issued an advisory following the accident in which nine people died and several others received burn injuries and suffered smoke inhalation-related problems.
The public was requested to bring to the notice of the fire, police and GHMC officials if they come across any such unauthorised storage and usage of hazardous materials in residential areas. The building owners were advised to install firefighting measures as per the national building code applicable to the type of building and occupancies.
They were also urged to periodically maintain firefighting systems and check them on a day-to-day basis. The larger business complexes or establishments should appoint fire safety officers just like security staff.
Owners were told to keep the escape route clear of any obstruction. The staircases should not be locked and should never be used as dumping places for waste materials. The Government further warned them to keep setbacks free so that that place could be used by fire vehicles in case of emergency. Periodical practice of fire drills by the inmates and intimating 101 in case of emergency without fail were the other pieces of advice.
Giving facts of the fire accident, the department in a statement said that a firecall was received by the fire control room at 09.34 am informing that sparks were coming from the stilt floor of the building. Immediately, a fire vehicle from the fire station assembly was turned out to fire ground. Thereafter, other vehicles such as water bowsers from Gowliguda and Jubilee Hills, Multi-purpose Tender (MPT) Salarjung Museum, Bronto sky lift from Secretariat, Simon snorkel, MPT from Yakuthpura and MPT Secretariat were rushed for assistance.
It was observed that the fire was initially started on the stilt floor of the building where unauthorised storage of chemicals in plastic drums and other flammable materials including fire rolls were kept.
Within no time, the fire spread to all upper floors vertically. After reaching the fire spot, the crew started both firefighting and rescue operations simultaneously and brought down around 21 members with the help of ladders and staircases. Injured, and unconscious persons were sent to the Hospital.
The fire is completely extinguished. All vehicles were withdrawn from the fire ground except MPT Salarjung Museum and the fire station of Assembly which were stationed at the fire ground as a precautionary measure. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Fire department in its preliminary report also said that being a residential apartment, the stilt floor was meant for parking. Instead, chemical tins, drums, F.R.P rolls, raw materials, polyester resin, and related products were dumped. They were dumped even on the setbacks of the building, leading to the quick spread of fire vertically once ignition occurred and fire developed in the ground.
Smoke quickly engulfed the stairwell of the only available staircase. Inmates on the upper floors were not able to come down due to this and got trapped in smoke and fire which caused nine deaths. The department also noted that there was no complaint of storage of hazardous materials in the building premises.