A MAJOR fire broke out in a saddle-manufacturing unit, Kings International at Transport Nagar on Thursday, destroying property worth Rs 50 lakh. On receiving the news, fire tenders and senior police officials rushed to the spot to carry out the relief and rescue operation. However, no casualty was reported, and the fire tenders took several hours to douse the flames. A short circuit on the second floor of the firm caused the fire that soon spread everywhere in the building. Fortunately, hundreds of workers escaped unhurt.
A MAJOR fire broke out in a saddle-manufacturing unit, Kings International at Transport Nagar on Thursday, destroying property worth Rs 50 lakh.
On receiving the news, fire tenders and senior police officials rushed to the spot to carry out the relief and rescue operation. However, no casualty was reported, and the fire tenders took several hours to douse the flames.
A short circuit on the second floor of the firm caused the fire that soon spread everywhere in the building. Fortunately, hundreds of workers escaped unhurt.
According to sources, leather-pasting solution kept in several drums in a godown, on the second floor of the firm, caught fire after a spark in a hanging live wire.
As the solution is highly inflammable, the fire spread everywhere. The fire tenders took two hours to reach the spot because of traffic jam on Juhi Bridge.
Just as the fire broke out, the factory workers swung into action and launched rescue operation by pulling out their colleagues who were trapped in the godown.
When fire tenders of Mirpur and Cant fire stations reached the site, the flames went out of control. Keeping in mind the intensity of the fire, the officials demanded more fire tenders from other stations. Soon seven fire tenders from Fazalganj, Colenolganj, Mirpur and Panki fire stations were pressed into service.
The residence of Taj Alam, owner of the factory, is adjacent to the site of the incident.
Later, talking to HT, fire officer of Fazalganj SK Singh Kushwaha said the firm flouted the safety norms. Besides, there was no fire hydrant at the site. Thus, it was difficult to maintain the water supply to extinguish the fire that spread so fast, he added.