The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Fire in chemicals godown

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 10, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Fire in chemicals godown

Staff Reporter

Narrow escape for people living in the neighbourhood

DANGEROUS MISSION: Fire and Emergency Services personnel dousing the flames at a chemicals godown at Cubbonpet in Bangalore on Thursday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE: Residents of the congested Cubbonpet panicked on Thursday as fire broke out at a five-storeyed building in which huge quantity of inflammable chemicals was stored.

Three persons, including a fireman, sustained burns in the incident.

According to the police, four tonnes of "highly inflammable" chemicals such as textile softeners and food additives were stored on the ground floor of the building on 13th Cross, Cubbonpet.

Around 10.20 a.m., two employees were stitching the plastic bags containing chemicals using an electricity-driven machine. The chemicals caught fire as sparks flew from the machine following an electric short-circuit, they said.

The fire spread fast and engulfed the 60 ft. by 20 ft. area in which chemicals were stored. Two employees, who were stitching bags, suffered burns on their hands and were rushed to a nearby hospital.

An official of the Fire and Emergency Services Department said that on being alerted, firemen rushed to the spot with "Agni," a motorcycle-mounted water jet, and tried to extinguish the fire. As the flames were too huge for the "Agni" to put out, seven fire tenders were pressed into service.

The firemen doused the fire using "water injected with foam."

While putting out the fire, a fireman sustained burns on his forehead and he was treated at a hospital, the official said.

Timely action by the Fire and Emergency Services Department personnel prevented the fire from spreading to adjoining buildings on the narrow lane. As a precaution, occupants of neighbouring buildings were asked to turn off their cooking gas cylinders and were made to rush out of their houses.

According to the police, the incident took place at the chemicals godown belonging to B.D. Brothers run by Pratish. The building is owned by Gante Gopal. The company supplies chemicals to food products and Rexene manufacturing industries.

While chemicals are stored on the ground floor of the building, there are houses, including that of Mr. Gopal, on the other floors, the police said. The Ulsoor Gate police, who have registered a case, said the company had a licence for storing chemicals.

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