Pune fire dept initiates inquiry into SP College tree falling incident

A fire officer from Janta Vasahat fire station reached the SP College on bike and did not send a fire brigade vehicle

The Pune fire brigade department has initiated an inquiry to the incident where a fire officer from Janta Vasahat fire station reached the SP College on bike and did not send a fire brigade vehicle after a huge tree fell on the campus claiming the life of a gardener on Monday.

A tree falling incident at SP college on Monday killed a gardener. A car was also damaged in the incident. (HT PHOTO)

Around 10 am on Monday, a 30-foot-tall tree, affected by termite infestation, fell when some workers were working near the spot. Gardener Malsingh Pawar (49) lost his life due to injuries suffered due to the tree fall while undergoing treatment at a hospital.

The officer assigned to send a fire brigade vehicle to remove the fallen tree reached the college campus on a bike and delayed the tree-cutting process. Later, teams and vehicles of Pune fire brigade department reached the college and tree-cutting was going on till 4 am on Tuesday.

“The fire officer incharge reached the spot on a two-wheeler first to assess the situation, but did not send a fire brigade vehicle. We have initiated an inquiry into the incident and the report is expected Tuesday evening and those responsible will face action,” said Ganesh Sonune, who has been given additional charge of Pune fire brigade department.

“As the tree was huge, we hired an excavator to clear the area of fallen branches. We appeal to colleges and institutions to carry out inspection of trees on their premises and avoid such accidents,” he said.

A fire department official on condition of anonymity said, “It is the protocol and regular practice to send a fire brigade vehicle whenever a tree-falling alert is sounded. In this case, the officer incharge went on bike and later reported to the control room that no serious incident has happened.”