20160327 India Fire at Gomtinagar market leads to scare
India Mar 25 2016 “Stores”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Fire at Gomtinagar market leads to scare
Updated: 2016-03-26-03:01
Clouds of smoke were so dense, residents of Gomtinagar thought it was going to pour on Saturday evening. As far as 4km from Patrakarpuram, people were wondering what was the matter as a major fire broke out in the busy part of Gomtinagar and flames rose up to 5 metres, engulfing the vegetable market opposite Kendriya Vidyalaya. Catastrophe was averted thanks to timely fire-fighting that saved a petrol pump from getting caught in the flames. Nobody was hurt but material worth crores of rupees turned into ash within two hours of the incident. 14 fire tenders were pressed into service including those of Tata Motors and had to make multiple rounds.
The flames erupted from welding work going on at a commercial building and struck panic across the stretch between Patrakarpuram and Manoj Pandey crossings around Gomtinagar police station. Only pedestrians were present on both sides of the carriageway and vehicular movement was not allowed. Motorists had to go via bylanes to reach their destinations.
Everyone feared flames would spread and lead to a massive explosion at gas station adjacent to Adarsh sabzimandi in Vikas Khand. The staff at the fuel station acted promptly and switched engines off as panic struck.
“Four underground tanks are present at the gas station and we were all holding our breath till fire tenders arrived,” said Chandrashekhar, manager of the petrol pump. The fuel station was saved by timely intervention of firefighters, but the vegetable market vendors were not as lucky. As many as 156 makeshift shops were reduced to ashes. “It is post-Holi time and shopkeepers had stocked a lot of items,” said Vinay Tripathi, chief of Adarsh Sabzimandi Sahkari Samiti which controls the market.
The commercial complex next to the fuel station was shut down almost immediately and patients admitted to the private hospital which shares its boundary with the petrol pump were brought out on stretchers and wheel chairs.
The makeshift structures of bamboo, tarpaulin sheets and wooden planks had fallen to the ground by 5.30pm. Some vendors had mini gas cylinders (petromax) and explosions kept taking place as fire spread across the market. Unable to bear the damages, three shopkeepers who were crying continuously collapsed.
Chief fire officer A B Pandey said some weavers who prepare quilts stay in shanties behind the fuel station. “Weavers had stored cotton and cloth and had covered their material with plastic sheets. Preliminary inquiry suggests welding sparks or hot iron must have fallen on the material and triggered the fire,” said Pandey.
Assistant superintendent of Lucknow (north) Vijay Dhull said survey was being conducted jointly by administrative officials and local police. “Findings will be submitted before the government,” said Dhull. A police officer said though the market has been there for a decade, its land belongs to government.
Web Source: THE TIMES OF INDIA
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Fire-at-Gomtinagar-market-leads-to-scare/articleshow/51567328.cms