The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Fire in petrol bunk put out in short order

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 26, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Fire in petrol bunk put out in short order

Staff Reporter

Traffic constables' alertness helped

DOUSING THE FLAMES: Fire fighters putting out a blaze at a petrol filling station on Anna Salai near Cenotaph road junction on Tuesday. — Photo: K. Pitchumani

CHENNAI: A fire broke out in a petrol bunk on Anna Salai near the Cenotaph Road junction on Tuesday evening.

Twenty Fire and Rescue Service personnel from Teynampet and Saidapet rushed to the spot and put out the fire in half an hour with the help of three fire tenders.

Swift action

Chennai City Joint Commissioner of Police (South) G. Dorairaj said the swift action helped avert a major blaze.

The fire may have been due to "static electricity" or related causes, a Fire service officer said.

Assistant Divisional Fire Officer M. Gajendran told The Hindu that five years ago, there was a similar incident in the same filling station.

The cause of the fire should be investigated, he said.

The Fire Service hailed the alertness of two traffic constables posted at the Eldams Road junction, in stopping traffic to allow the fire tenders to get to the spot quickly.

An oil company safety officer said that safety systems in modern petrol pumps were such that the fire could not ignite the underground fuel storage tanks. Teynampet police have registered a case and are investigating.

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