18 injured in fire accident at lubricant shop
Staff Reporter
Of them, 17 are personnel from the Fire Services
A sub-inspector of police is also among the injured
The condition of three of the injured personnel
is serious Photo: Bhagya Prakash. K.

The injured personnel being taken to hospital in Bangalore on Friday and at right, the shop where the fire broke out.

Bangalore: As many as 18 persons were injured in a fire accident that occurred at a lubricant shop at Nagasandra Circle, near Tata Silk Farm, here on Friday. Speaking to The Hindu, Alok Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), said that 17 fire personnel and a traffic sub-inspector were injured. The names of the victims from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services were given as Sanna Madappa, T.B. Madappa, Rangaswamy (leading fireman), Suresh, Suresh (Fire Services photographer), Munikrishna (Assistant Fire Officer), Nagaraj (leading fireman), Chikka Mariappa (leading fireman), Venkatesh, Gangadhar, Mallaiah, Chandru, Jayaram Singh, Narayanappa, Lakshmi Narasimhamurthy, Abbaiah and Narasimhamurthy. He gave the name of the Sub-Inspector (Basavanagudi Traffic Police Station) as Ramu. Mr. Alok Kumar said that the accident occurred at around 8.30 p.m. The owner of the shop reportedly tried to douse the fire himself. After several unsuccessful attempts, he called the police and the Fire Services. He said that the fire personnel managed to control the fire and were in the process of putting it out completely when a spark fell on an open oil container which caught fire and burst. The injured personnel were shifted to two hospitals. Soon after the incident, the area was cordoned off and barrels containing oil were removed from the shop and dumped on the road. T. Sunil Kumar, Director, Department of Fire and Emergency Services, said that the accident occurred when the personnel were trying to put out the fire. “It happened quickly. Six have been admitted to a private hospital, while the others are in Victoria Hospital,” he said.Compensation About compensation for the staff injured, he said that the amount had not been worked out yet. “Our concern is to ensure that the injured personnel get the best treatment. We will look into the issue of compensation later,” he added. A medical officer at Victoria Hospital, on condition of anonymity, said that the injured were brought to the hospital at around 8.45 p.m. “They were all given treatment. The personnel are all aged between 45 and 55. They have all sustained 50 per cent to 60 per cent burns.” The condition of three fire personnel is said to be serious. About the possibility of infections, he said that it was too soon to speak about it. “The personnel responded positively to the treatment. With proper care and treatment, they may not contract any infection and can be cured completely,” he added. The injured fire personnel were later shifted to a private hospital

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