Fire at Legislature's Home

From:The Hindu

Staff Reporter
BANGALORE: A fire broke out in block two of Legislators’ Home (LH) on Sunday. According to the Fire and Emergency Services, the fire broke out on the fifth floor of the legislators’ home around 5.30 p.m. Old furniture kept in the corridor was destroyed. Two fire engines were pressed into service. The cause of the fire was not known.

Commando training for fire personnel

Govind D. Belgaumkar
MANGALORE: In a path-breaking development, 28 new recruits to head fire stations across the State underwent rigorous training, akin to the gruelling physical and mental challenges the commando trainees are subjected to. The training was conducted at the Fire Station here and in jungles and quarry pits on the city outskirts. The training included crossing 15 types of obstacles including a tough 10-feet wall, python crawl, rope climbing, para jumping, gap crossing, double rope commando crawl, rappelling, single hole crossing, parallel rope walking, dead body evacuation by sliding it on a rope and carrying the injured through steep and tough terrain.

Thrust area According to Mangalore’s Chief Fire Officer D. Rasheed, who conceptualised the new training programme in consultation with his higher ups, the fire forces of the present day face multiple challenges and hazards while dealing with life and properties of people. Old type of training, where they were trained only to fight fire, had become obsolete, Mr. Rasheed said. Hitherto, the training had meant 80 per cent theory and 20 per cent practical indoctrination in fire fighting. But under the new training regime, the practical phase were given 60 per cent weightage, he said. The trainees have been moved to Bangalore after the physical training here.

Mr. Rasheed, who calls it “fire commando course”, has joined hands with the local Kirti Adventure Institute, in preparing the recruits for the modern tasks. He said it was a holistic approach to train their mind, body and soul. Their activities would begin early in the day with meditation, followed by a 3-km run and physical exercise, which prepare them for tougher tasks. They are then put to commando-type training. Mr. Rasheed, who has got the training process recorded on a video, said the way the trainees were able to climb a 40-feet wall using the natural rock-climbing technique, had to be seen to be believed. Mr. Rasheed, who has been promoted and posted as Deputy Director (Administration) at Fire Force headquarters in Bangalore, hoped that the infrastructure would be created at R.A. Mundkur Fire Services Academy on Bannerghatta Road in Bangalore to train the fire personnel thoroughly.

He said to test the skills acquired by the trainees, an earthquake-like scene was created in an unknown area and the trainees were able to find it and evacuate the dummy bodies, passing through jungles, deep gorges and water bodies.
The trainees were asked to speak about their experiences, everyday and this had boosted their confidence, he said. According to Ramaprasad, junior instructor with Kirthi Adventure Institute, the way the recruits were able to cross a 40-feet deep gorge using a rope tied to two trees was impressive.

Fire at industrial unit

FROM-deccan herald
Fire at industrial unit
Goods worth several lakhs were gutted when an industrial unit caught fire at NS Palya on Sunday evening. Fifteen fire tenders and 80 firemen battled the fire for four hours. No one was injured in the accident, as the industrial unit was closed on Sunday. A short circuit is said to have caused the mishap.The situation turned tense after the fire broke out at Asian Industries Private Limited, a solution manufacturing unit housed in a four-storey building. Two barrels containing thinner were stored on the ground and first floors. When the barrels exploded, the flames spread in all directions. The entire building was plunged into a thick cloud of smoke. Fire tenders rushed to the spot immediately, and succeeded in putting out the fire after four hours.The owner of the industrial unit and the building has been identified as Thangaraj. The third and fourth floors of the building have been rented out to Inter Connect Private Limited. The goods that were stored in two floors were gutted. A case has been registered, and the police are ascertaining whether Thangaraj had obtained permission to run the unit.

Opening of Shiggaon Fire Station

From Prajavani 15-07-2008

12 Fire Station for 80 lakh people

Giant Wheel Mishap: Fire People Rescue All To Safety

Times of India
Giant wheel stops, 25 stuck mid-air

7 Jul 2008, 0333 hrs IST,TNN
BANAGALORE: The huge giant wheel started rolling and within seconds, it stopped with three jerks. Over 25 people who were at a height of about 50 feet from the ground started looking downwards excitedly unaware of the fact that they would be suspended mid air for the next one and half hours. The inauguration of the amusement park at the National Consumer Fair in Puttenahalli, JP Nagar 6th phase on Sunday evening, turned into a panic evening when the giant wheel got stuck. The giant wheel has three drive wheels each on both the sides. It had taken just two cycles when one of the drive wheels got punctured. After three or four jerks, the giant wheel came to a screeching halt. Although the wheel was stuck at 6.30 pm, the fire services could arrive on the spot after more than an hour delay due to traffic diversion at the ring road-Puttenahalli junction. "But for the narrow lanes and traffic jams on the road, we could have reached there pretty early," said B G Chengappa, joint director of Fire Services. There was drama in the air as the fire personnel as well as the people on the ground and on the wheel had tense moments. "For a moment, there was panic and screaming. Later, there was a dead silence," said Gautham, one of the organizers. The entire rescue operation took 40 men from fire services and one and half hours. Initially, the fire personnel used their vehicle ladders to bring down the people, but it did not reach the upper carriages. Then they had to use the rope ladders to rescue the people on the top. Cheers rent the air when eight-year-old Raghavi (8), the first one to be brought down, reached the ground safely. She looked very poised and said that she was not scared while on the giant wheel. Mariam from Mumbai, who waited for over an hour for her daughter and granddaughter to be rescued, was too shocked to react. Though the fair opened four days ago, due to rain threat, the organizers decided to postpone the opening of amusement games to Sunday. "The incident took place at around 6.30 pm. We have safety ladders on either side of the wheel, but we did not want to take any chances and decided to call the fire tenders," Goutham said. Meanwhile, Chengappa said they would initiate a probe into the episode.

Cylinder Exploaion Claims Lives of Two Kids

Times of India

Sunday shocker for children of joy7 Jul 2008, 0335 hrs IST,TNN
BANGALORE: "I want the red balloon, I want green." For the children of Sarakki Garden who went to buy the colourful balloons, Sunday evening turned into a nightmare when the overheated helium cylinder exploded. Fourteen-year-old Nagaraja died on the spot, while 11-year-old Sanjay on the way to NIMHANS. Four other children and the balloon seller sustained severe injuries. When the balloon seller pedalled into J P Nagar 6th Phase, Nagaraja and his friends Sanjay and Manju hopped out of the house to buy the balloons. The balloon man’s cycle had a helium cylinder to fill the balloons. Slowly, more children joined in. The cylinder soon became overheated because of the continuous filling up of the balloons with gas. When the seller poured some water on it to cool it down, the cylinder exploded and Nagaraja collapsed on the spot. The blast ripped his body. Other children - Anjan (12), Manjunath (7), Kushal (5), Vikas (12) - have been admitted to Victoria Hospital. Balloon seller Manoj (17), from Uttar Pradesh, was also severely injured. They all have suffered facial burns. For two-and-a-half-year-old Aman Dubey, it was a lucky escape. He who was playing on the road was attracted to the bright balloons. He escaped with minor injuries in the blast. He was back home after first aid. His father, A V Dubey, was not at home when the incident occurred. Nagaraja was not so lucky, he died on the spot. His parents, Prakash and Dakshayani, are shellshocked. They are unable to digest the truth that their son who went to buy balloons is no more. He was studying in Class VIII in Sarakki Government High School. The other victim, Sanjay, was a Class V student at Oxford School in JP Nagar. His parents Dhruva Kumar and Sujatha, who own a provisions store at Sarakki Garden, are inconsolable. Sanjay had celebrated his 11th birthday just last week. A resident of Sarakki Garden, Mahesh, who was on the spot when the blast occurred at 4.30 pm, explained: "All the children were playing when some of them went to the balloon seller. Suddenly, there was a blast. The impact threw the children some distance away. We rushed to their rescue but could not save Nagaraja. We took the severely injured children to hospital." Area MLA Sathish Reddy visited the place. How did it happen? The residents who witnessed the blast gave different versions on the cause of the blast. One resident said the gas cylinder got overheated and when the seller tried to cool it with water, the cylinder could have exploded due to tremendous pressure. The fact that the balloon cylinder was just below high voltage lines could have also led to the blast.
© 2008 Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cylinder Explosion-Two Kids Dead

Article on Mysore Fire Brigade in Star of Mysore

FIRE BRIGADE

From Star of Mysore-Online

The Saraswathipuram Fire Station in Mysore is the oldest Fire Station in the State. During the British rule, this Fire Station was under the control of the old Madras region. It is housed in a heritage building built in the year 1942 at Saraswathipuram.

At present, there are three Fire Stations within Mysore city limits at Saraswathipuram, on Bangalore-Mysore Highway in Bannimantap and in the RBI premises. The Station at Saraswathipuram is the main Regional Office covering the districts of not only Mysore but also Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Hassan.

The Fire Station at Saraswathipuram is equipped with two water spraying engines, one tanker to carry water, one to spray mist based on German technology mounted inside a Jeep. There is even an Enfield motorcycle fitted with German fire fighting technology with Carbon dioixide to douse small fires at short notices. Similarly, the Bannimantap Fire Station also consists of a water tender, a multipurpose tender and a water tanker. The RBI Fire Station consists two water tenders. The water tender has the capacity to pump four to five thousands liters of water and the water tanker has the capacity to store 10 thousands of liters of water.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Regional Fire Officer H.S. Varada Rajan said that they are in the process of acquiring an Advanced Rescue Van which is equipped with essential equipments like steel cutting machine, tree cutting machine and concrete cutter, required during emergencies. He announced that fire fighting personnel do not involve only in dousing fires, but also in saving lives of people who are in danger. Fire fighting personnel are always ready to rescue lives of people in any situation who are in danger, like in collapse of buildings, accidental drowning and other life threatening situations.

Presently, there are 37 firemen working at the Saraswathipuram Fire Station, though the actual requirement is 51, while at the Bannimantap Station, 22 men are working though the actual requirement is 37 persons and in the RBI station 20 firemen are working where the actual need is 27. The remaining vacancies are in the process of being filled up, as the new recruits are currently undergoing training, said Varada Rajan.

Residential quarters have also been provided to these firemen which are in the premises itself. A fireman cannot leave the headquarters without obtaining permission of his higher officer. He should always be prepared not just during his working hours, but also all the day and night when he is present there.

Awareness Programmes:

Fire fighting personnel not only save the lives in critical moments, but also create awareness among the people by holding public demonstrations and giving lectures in schools, colleges, Government offices, Departments, summer camps, NSS camps, NCC camps and to Police trainees.

How to act in fire accidents:

Find, Inform, Restrict, and Extinguish (FIRE) are the keywords to be remembered in a fire accident. Soon after receiving an emergency call, the person in the control room informs the nearest fire station. When the fire station is informed, the fire engine driver immediately takes the fire engine outside and another person will start ringing the alarm bells to alert other fire men to join the fire engine. They always carry the topography of the city and town plan ready on hand to visit the spot. Fire fighting personnel will board the fire engine, after wearing their safety guards like helmets, arm guards, long shoes etc.

While sharing his experience that occurred recently, Varada Rajan said that in KR Nagar four men got down into a manhole and became unconscious. At that time, he luckily happened to be in KR Nagar, when somebody called him and informed about the mishap. He immediately ordered the locals to bring oxygen cylinders from hospitals and release the oxygen into the manhole. They were successful in taking three of them outside, but unfortunately, one man succumbed.

STUDENTS ASSOCIATION OF FIRE EDUCATION (SAFE)
This is a unique program of training the children, it is run only in Karnataka.
Karnataka State Fire Services Department started this program with the main aim of developing fire preventive habits among students by imparting training to the boys and girls (middle and high school students).

The modus operandi of SAFE is to identify and adopt a few schools and enrol students as the members of SAFE. The Department arranges free training for the members of SAFE, in their school premises. A day in a week, fortnight or month will be identified to introduce the theory part of the subject 'fire'. With the help of the school teaching staff, free slots will be identified for practical training in identification of portable extinguishers, judicious use of portable extinguishers, methods of summoning fire services, do's and don'ts in an emergency, fire drills, rescue methodology and evacuation drill. This training may last for one year. After this training certificates are issued to the members. There are 16 different schools which are actively participating in this program. A program to train the trainers i.e., school teachers in basic fire prevention, fire fighting and evacuation who in turn train the members of SAFE, is also designed.

Bylaws for SAFE
Members willing to join the association should be bonafide students of a school in the city.
They should remain in the Students' Association of Fire Education for one year. They will be issued a certificate by the Dept. by the end of the year. They should attend the training program once a month regularly in the afternoon after classes in their schools. The training will be conducted by the Karnataka State Fire Services Department's instructors, at the school premises. The head of the educational institution will select a teacher and nominate him/her as 'Fire Warden' of the SAFE, who will take care of the attendance and other matters of the Association. Members of SAFE are not eligible for a certificate if the attendance is less than 75%.
The members of the SAFE will carry a cloth arm band (SAFE) on the right arm. Members should attend functions organised by the Department in respect of fire safety. Members of SAFE may need to participate in the march past during Republic Day and Independence Day parades, and also during Fire Service Week celebrations. (14th April to 20th April). Competition of various types for the members, including inter / intra school of SAFE will be held from time to time, to introduce competitive spirit. Each school shall have a Captain nominated from among the members by the Department called 'SAFE-Captain'. A SAFE-Captain may need to attend meetings convened by Director/Commandant of the Training College/Chief Fire Officer at any convenient location. During the training period, the Department will arrange a visit of the members of SAFE to any one fire station in Bangalore city.

For Fire Emergency Dial - 101
In case of emergency contact fire stations:
Saraswathipuram - 2540970, Bannimantap - 2495101, RBI - 2582103, Mysore Regional Fire Officer (RFO) - 2540116, website: www.karnatakafireservices.gov.in

Fire in Mahalakshmi racecourse building

The Hindu

Mumbai: A part of the Mahalakshmi racecourse building in Mumbai went up in flames on Thursday evening. There was no casualty. No injuries

“The entire members’ stand on the top floor of the two-storey building on a side of the racecourse ground is gutted. Fortunately, nobody was injured because the stand was locked,” an official of the Royal Western India Turf Club that owns and runs the racecourse, told The Hindu.
He said the fire could have been caused by an electric short circuit. The fire started around 8 p.m. Twelve fire engines and five water tankers were rushed to the spot in response to the call, graded number two. Scores of firemen battled the huge blaze for hours. The Turf Club is virtually empty these days as its 1,200 horses and the staff have shifted to Pune, where the new racing season is to begin shortly.

One child killed, nine hurt in roof crash

Staff Correspondent
The roof of the private school collapsed within hours after the building was inaugurated

SUPERVISING RELIEF WORK: G. Janardhan Reddy, Tourism Minister, supervising the relief work at Kenchappa High School, Bellary, where a child died in roof collapse on Tuesday.

BELLARY: Santosh studying in X standard died on the spot and nine others, including three students and two teachers, when the mud roof of their school building collapsed on Tuesday within hours after its inauguration. The incident occurred around 3.30 p.m. at Kenchappa High School, run by Harpahanahalli-based TMAE Society. “But for the break, the casualty would have been high. Almost all the students, numbering over 45, had come out of the building when the roof collapsed killing one boy and injuring nine others,” an eyewitness told The Hindu. According to police, the management rented the renovated building, measuring about 30 ft. x 20 ft., from Basappa at Rs. 20,000 a year. The roof, which was laid using bamboo, bamboo mat and mud, collapsed when a few workers were still filling the mud. The high school was unaided while the primary and higher primary schools run by the institution was aided, according to N.A. Thippeswamy, Deputy Director of Public Instruction. On getting information, the police officials, accompanied by Fire and Emergency Services personnel, rushed to the spot, and launched a search operation. All the injured were rushed to the VIMS Hospital. The names of the admitted children were given as Usha (X standard), Parshuram (IX standard), and M. Sunita (teacher). Three workers – Ramu, Shankar and Sharief – were undergoing treatment. Tourism Minister G. Janardhan Reddy, Bellary MLA G. Somashekar Reddy, zilla panchayat president Pushparekha, Mayor Shobha Narayan and Deputy Mayor Hasina Bi, in-charge Deputy Commissioner C.G. Bettasurmath, and zilla panchayat chief executive officer Anthony Mandonca came to the spot and supervised the search operations. Mr. Reddy expressed concern over the substandard school buildings selected by the private institutions.
“I have given instructions to the Deputy Commissioner and the Additional Superintendent of Police to inquire into the matter and cancel the licence of the school besides suspending the officials concerned who failed to discharge their duties properly,” he said.

From the Hindu

3 firemen injured in blaze at industrial estate

Expressindia
Express News ServicePosted online: Tuesday , June 03, 2008 at 02:14:39
3 firemen injured in blaze at industrial estate
Express News Service
Posted online: Tuesday, June 03, 2008 at 0214 hrs IST
Mumbai, June 02A major fire broke out in one of the units at an industrial estate in Lalbaug on Monday afternoon. Three firemen were injured during the fire-fighting operations.
The fire broke out in one of the galas in the old Kamani mill compound around 1.30 pm. “The oil mill is shut since 1995 and there are eight to 10 galas in it that have been sub-leased. Edible oil was stored in one of the galas. There is also a garment gala, a studio, shaving brush packaging unit, interiors company and a mineral water packaging unit. The cause of the fire is not yet known,” said DCP D K Phadtare, Zone V.
The industrial estate is adjacent to Peru Chawl. “Peru Chawl has been sold to a private builder,” said DCP D K Phadtare, Zone V.
It took more than two hours to put out the fire. “These may be unauthorised galas. There are many lofts. The mill is a 100 x 120 sq ft area without any fire safety measures in place. The exact loss of property will take time to assess,” said Chief Fire Officer A V Sawant.
A Fire department official said assistant fire officer Barahaat and two others — Krushant Kamble and Padmakar Ragunath from Sewree fire station — were taken to KEM hospital. “Barahaat fell from a makeshift shaft and fractured his hand. The other two have bruises on their back,” the official said.
Residents of Peru Chawl, on hearing the news of the fire, ran out with some of their belongings and cooking gas cylinders. “We had just finished our lunch and were about to lie down when we saw the smoke coming out,” said Shobha Shelar, a resident.
“I lost everything. Lights worth Rs 2 lakh and other valuables are charred now,” said Chanda Hublikar, one of the sub-tenants of Kamani mill.
“Khimchand Chawla, a tenant on the mill land, sub-leased the land to the present gala owners. We called up his son, he informed us that Khimchand was admitted in KEM hospital. But when we went to KEM, we learnt that he was shifted to a private hospital. Till late evening, we failed to get in touch with him,” said Senior Police Inspector Ramesh Bhikulal Poman of Kalachowkey Police Station.
The Chawlas could not be reached for comment.
Adjacent to the Kamani mill are two huge godowns rented to an oil packaging unit and a printing and binding company. “The oil packaging unit has 12 huge oil containers and many lubricants packs. A major tragedy was averted. If this godown had caught fire there would have been casualties,” said Nitin Ghadik, a resident of the chawl.

Woman dies after being thrown out of rotating device

Staff Reporter
BANGALORE: For 25-year-old Ayesha, a visit to Cubbon Park on Monday proved to be her nemesis. At the Bal Bhavan’s amusement park, she was thrown out of what is commonly called “Tora Tora,” a rotating device. The impact was such that she hit her head hard against a rock and died instantaneously. Her three-year-old daughter suffered minor injuries. Ms. Ayesha came with her friend Rajesh and her daughter Namra to the Jawahar Bal Bhavan. It was closed, but the amusement park managed by a private company was open. Eyewitnesses said Ms. Ayesha, Mr. Rajesh and Namra climbed into the Tora Tora. The operator bolted each seat and started the device. Midway, the bolt on Namra’s side gave way and she was flung out. Miraculously, a bystander instinctively caught the child. Ayesha was also thrown off. She hit the railing and crashed to the ground. She died on the spot. The operator, manager and owner were arrested.

For information click here

Mother jumps to save child, dies

BANGALORE: An amusement ride with her three-year-old daughter turned tragic for a woman at Bal Bhavan in Cubbon Park on Monday. Around 1 pm, Ayesha (24), along with boyfriend Rajesh and daughter Nimra, came to Bal Bhavan. They sat in an amusement ride, Tora-Tora. Just as the ride had started, Nimra slipped from her mother's hand and fell off. A startled Ayesha jumped down to rescue the little one — a leap from over 5 feet. She fell on a railing surrounding the platform, and succumbed to a severe head injury. Little had Ayesha known that onlookers had caught her daughter. The child escaped with minor injuries. Ayesha was rushed to Bowring Hospital, where she was declared brought dead. There were not many people around, Monday being a weekday. Though Bal Bhavan's administrative office is closed on Monday, the amusement park runs throughout the week as it has been outsourced. The police took Rajesh into their custody and sent Nimra to Shishu Mandir, an organization for destitute children run by the women and child welfare department. Department secretary Shalini Rajneesh said a case of negligence has been registered against the contractor who runs the amusement park. "The contractor was asked to close the amusement park on June 13. He subsequently sent a legal notice saying he had invested Rs 30 lakh and would lose heavily if he suddenly closed the facility. But we insisted and promised some compensation, yet he didn't act on the notice. The department will take action now," she said. Authorities have decided to discontinue risky rides in the park. A compensation of Rs 1 lakh will be paid to the child. Only three months ago, Ayesha had set out from Gadag with Nimra, abandoning her husband Abdul Razak and dreaming of a happy life with Rajesh. The trio visited various places in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh before arriving in Bangalore on Monday. Rajesh said: "We arrived here this morning and planned to settle here. We set out looking for a house-keeping job and were asked to come at 2.30 pm by our prospective employer's relative. Since it was only 11 am, we thought we would do a little sight-seeing. We saw Vidhana Soudha and later came to Bal Bhavan when the tragedy took place." Rajesh was working as a cashier in a private company in Mangalore. He had then befriended Ayesha's husband. Rajesh started frequenting their house and Ayesha used to complain to him that she was being harassed by her husband. Following this, the duo decided to leave Gadag and come to Bangalore. Nimra is unaware she is left motherless.

From Times of India