20230112 Goa: Even after 24 hours, 12 lakh litres water and 5,000 litres foam, fire yet to die
India Jun 09 2023 “Building” “Factories”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Goa: Even after 24 hours, 12 lakh litres water and 5,000 litres foam, fire yet to die
Updated: 2023-01-12
PANAJI: More than 24 hours after a blaze engulfed a paint factory at Pilerne Industrial Estate, the fire continued its slow burn, feeding on chemicals, solvents, and paints that were stored at the Berger Becker Coatings factory. Goa’s fire department utilised more than 12 lakh litres of water and 5,000 litres of foam to bring the fire under control.
The blaze, which began at around 2:30pm on Tuesday, has wiped out the entire warehouse of the manufacturing unit and the loss is estimated to run into crores.
“The fire was brought under control by 6am on Wednesday, but there are small patches of fire in the basement, which we are trying to douse,” said Ajit Kamat, assistant divisional officer, north zone. “It is only smouldering right now, with no open flames.”
Once the fire department succeeded in bringing the fire under control, authorities deployed earth movers and excavators to clear the debris and gain access to the basement.
North Goa collector Mamu Hage extended the precautionary guidelines for local residents living within 2 km of Berger Becker Coatings for 72 hours. “As the fire has subsided and there is some leftover smoke in the atmosphere, residents living within 2km radius and around the site of the fire incident at the Pilerne Industrial Estate are advised to continue following the advisory,” said Hage.
The directorate of fire and emergency services has deployed a fire tender as a precautionary measure for the village. The move is to assuage concerns of the locals, said officials.
Of the nearly 20 fire engines that helped fight the blaze on Tuesday, five fire engines remain at the factory. “The fire tenders are fighting the fire. There is a lot of hot debris, which is making access to the fire difficult. We are using the excavators to create a passage for the water and foam,” said Kamat.
Confirming that the fire is totally under control, Goa Industrial Development Corporation chairman Aleixo Reginald Lourenco said that it could take a day or two for the fire to be completely extinguished. “It is not safe for people to enter due to the extreme heat,” said Lourenco. Though Lourenco initially said that a short circuit caused the massive blaze, fire department officials said that they have not identified the source of the fire.
“The cause has yet to be ascertained. We also do not have an estimate of the loss because we have yet to collect data on the stock with the company,” said an official.
After the fire broke out on Tuesday, the fire department was alerted at 2.57pm after the factory’s firefighting team failed to put out the fire. The factory contained a large quantity of paint and chemical solvents which accelerated the fire and led to the destruction of a significant portion of the factory.
The factory is located on top of a hill and at the extreme end of the industrial estate, which proved providential for the other industrial units and residents of Saipem, Pilerne, and Candolim.
Goa’s fire department asked fire engines and fire fighters from Kundaim, Curchorem, Mapusa, Bicholim, Ponda and Porvorim to join the firefighting effort. Given the severity of the fire, the government requested assistance from Mormugao Port Authority, Indian Navy and the Indian Army.
Web Source: The Times of India