It was their generous action which prevented the fire from spreading; they emptied their own water tanks to douse the fire in a time of water crisis
It was their generous action which prevented the fire from spreading; they emptied their own water tanks to douse the fire in a time of water crisis
In what can only be called an act of generosity, residents of Veerapillai Street near Commercial Street helped firefighters douse a major fire that engulfed a three-storey building, by supplying water from their own tanks.
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Residents helped authorities douse the fire by supplying water from their own tanks through small pipes. This, in times when the city is undergoing a major water shortage.
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The store also makes thinners, and had stored a number of barrels that contained the chemical melamine ranging from 500 ml tins to 200-litre barrels, which burst due to the heat, causing small explosions within the building.
Firefighters who arrived at the scene had trouble getting to the burning building which is located on a narrow street. Because of this, fire engines had to be parked some 100 metres from the burning building.
Bound to happen
"The store had some highly flammable products which shouldn't have been there in the first place. We still don't know what caused the fire," said Jija Hari Singh, DGP, Fire Services.
"Our men are now cooling the place."
M Gopi, Corporator of ward 110 under which Veerapillai Street falls under, said, "We'll conduct an investigation soon, and necessary action will be taken."
"We saw smoke coming out of the building and immediately informed the fire department,"said Jameel, a resident in the neighbourhood. "I thank the residents here who provided water which helped in putting out the fire."
It took 30 fire trucks and 4 lakh litres of water to bring the fire under control. Two persons sustained minor injuries in the incident.
Gangadhar(30), a fire personnel, was hurt by glass shards and needed four stitches. Another person, Khaleel (32), was in the building when the incident happened. He sustained similar injuries on his hand.