Andhra Pradesh - Guntur   

Fire in garments store

GUNTUR: A major disaster at a popular retail garment store on Saturday morning was averted by the timely intervention of the Fire Department.

Within minutes of flames engulfing the first floor of Murthy Fashions at Lalapet, the Fire Department personnel swung into action and doused the flames. But the intensity of the fire charred the entire first floor and workers were able to minimise the damage by shifting the cloth material out of the shop.

District Fire Officer Ch. Sambasiva Rao said that an electrical short-circuit could have caused the fire. He said that soon after receiving a call from proprietor Murthy, the Old Town Fire station was alerted and a fire tender was rushed to the scene. The thin traffic during morning hours too saved a bit of time and the fire was brought under control by 10 a.m.

Code violation

The accident has again brought to the fore the issue of fire-safety. Most of the malls do not have fire-safety equipment while it is mandatory under National Building Code to have a water tank and a fire hose attached to it. Except for a couple of outdated fire extinguishers, the shop managements do not care for fire safety.

The fact that many malls do not have an alternative staircase too puts the lives of customers at risk.

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