20190616 Ludhiana: Another massive fire rages on at yarn unit
India Jun 16 2019 “Building” “Factories”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Ludhiana: Another massive fire rages on at yarn unit
Updated: 2019–06–17
LUDHIANA: A major fire broke out at a yarn manufacturing factory in Kanganwal on Sunday evening. No body was injured in the blaze that raged for several hours.
With it being a Sunday, only a few workers were inside Garg Acrylics. They immediately ran to safety. On noticing smoke billowing out of the five-storey unit’s second floor, neighbours called up its manager, who sounded the fire department.
Assistant divisional fire officer Bhupinder Sandhu said, “We received their call at 4.10pm. First, we rushed tenders from Focal Point fire station to the spot. As it was a big fire, tenders from other stations, too, were pressed into service. The factory is built over a large area. Even as the operation was fraught with difficulties, we managed to control the spread of flames. The fire did not go beyond the second floor, where raw material was kept.”
With thick black smoke making the job of firemen tough, they tried to control the blaze from outside. The unit workers assisted them in the operation.
“The unit has over 7,000 employees. On learning about the incident, some of them rushed to the spot to help the firemen,” said an employee.
The factory had the necessary fire safety arrangements. Hydrants were installed in the unit that enabled the firemen get water easily. As nearby units also belonged to the same owner, tenders refilled water from there.
Station fire officer SN Sharma said, “Except one, all 16 fire tenders of the city were pressed into service. As the factory is 70 to 80 feet wide and 100 feet long, it is taking time to bring the situation under control. With stairs constructed outside the building, it was easy to control the spread of the fire. Its cause is yet to be ascertained.”
The firemen were on the job till the filing of the report.
90 fire incidents reported in 16 days
According to the fire department officials, 90 fire incidents were reported from June 1 to 16. With increase in temperature, there is rise in such incidents. In April and May, 95 fire incidents were reported. The spurt keeps firemen on toes for more than 12 hours a day.
Heat, winds add to firemen’s woes
A fireman said, “The scorching conditions and winds that fan the flames make the operation tough. If a fire is big, we take 10 to 20 hours to douse the flames.”
Web Source: The times of india