200 calls to fire department in a night

Updated on: 28 October,2011 08:02 AM IST |
Mid Day correspondent |

The Fire officials of Delhi faced a tough time on Diwali as the more than 200 calls they received on a single night kept them on their toes

The Fire officials of Delhi faced a tough time on Diwali as the more than 200 calls they received on a single night kept them on their toes. A Fire official, however, said they were happy that none of the incidents was serious and no casualties were reported in the city. The only major fire reported was from a famous restaurant in the Hauz Khas area of south Delhi.

Better safe than sorry: The department had deployed fire tenders in
all markets far away from the stations in New Delhi this year. File pic

The blaze was reported from a four-storey building, in which Prayag restaurant is located, soon after its owners were done with the Diwali puja at the premises.

No one was injured in the incident, as the eatery was closed for customers. Twelve fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the fire was doused.

"We were busy all day long. We received around 85 calls in the day and 125 during the night. Most calls were received between 6-8 pm," said a senior official.

Last Diwali, the Fire department received 211 calls while the number was 267 in the year before that. In 2008, the figure was 270 and 150 in 2007. This year, the Fire department had deployed tenders in markets far away from the stations. "None of the officials was on leave on Diwali and were ready to deal with any eventuality," said the official.