31 January 2009

Fire commandoes undergo training

MANGALORE: They wear fatigues much similar to those worn by the Rapid Action Force (RAF), but perform a different function. While the RAF, a specialized wing of the These commandoes - 25 of them - are presently in the city to complete a part of their training which includes a fortnight-long course in mountain craft training that has rock climbing, gap crossing and jungle trekking. They are being trained under the watchful eyes of the director of Kirthi Adventure Institute Theodore M Lasrado at Parapade and other places. These commandoes - 25 of them - are presently in the city to complete a part of their training which includes a fortnight-long course in mountain craft training that has rock climbing, gap crossing and jungle trekking. They are being trained under the watchful eyes of the director of Kirthi Adventure Institute Theodore M Lasrado at Parapade and other places.

D Rasheed, deputy director (administration), department of fire and emergency services told The Times of India that the idea of giving specialized training to the officers in addition to their regular training emerged from aftermath of 26/11 incidents in Mumbai. "We need officers who can handle exigencies apart from their routine tasks and hence have gone in for a small batch of motivated and fit officers for this purpose," he said. The men have completed six-month basic training course and are presently in the second phase of their 40-day specialized training. “The first and third phase of the specialized training will be conducted at the department's training academy in Bangalore,” Rasheed said, adding that the prime mover behind this concept of training officers as commandoes is Jija Madhavan Hari Singh, DGP and director-general of fire and emergency services. On completion of their training, these commando officers will be deployed throughout the state so that they can lead their peers to face any exigencies. “The training module has three angles - training for their soul, body and mind,” he said and added that the department has plans to train 300 officers, in all in a phased manner. “The first batch of 25 officers trained by the department is already on the job,” Rasheed said.

Six hurt in factory blast near Electronics

Staff Reporter
BANGALORE: Six persons, including three contract labourers, were injured in a blast at a herbal products production unit in Veerasandra Industrial Estate near Electronics City on Friday.
According to Regional Fire Officer Ravi Shankar, the blast occurred in the processing area of Natural Remedies, which exports herbal products. The blast was a result of pressure created because of accumulation of vapours generated in the area. Supervisors Chandrashekar (20), Kamal (33) and Wisagon (27) and Duryodhan, Manjunath Reddy and Prasanna, labourers, were injured.

29 January 2009

Man dies in road accident, mob sets tipper on fire

Karwar: An angry mob burnt down a tipper in Kinnar village near Karwar on Wednesday in protest against the death of a person in a road accident in the village. The villagers were angry over the alleged reckless driving by tipper drivers who transport stones and sand from the village. Gurudas Kochrekar (54) of Kinnar village was the victim. Two complaints, one by the relative of the dead and the other by the owner of the burnt tipper, have been lodged in the Karwar Rural police station. According to the relatives of Gurudas Kochrekar, the tipper hit him when he was crossing the road. They alleged that tipper drivers always drove their vehicles speedily in residential areas and even near schools. The repeated warning by villagers had gone unheeded. They said there had been accidents in the area in the past involving tippers. They alleged that every day more than 200 tippers passed through the residential area of the village disturbing life. The roads in the village were narrow and this resulted in accidents, the villagers said. In his complaint, the owner of the damaged tipper, Narayan Kashinath Naik (45), alleged that Gurudas was under the influence of alcohol and tried to get into the tipper by stopping it. The tipper driver slowed down the vehicle as schoolchildren were crossing the road. But Grurudas allegedly tried to board the tipper and fell under the rear wheel of the vehicle. Narayan has named Vinod Manohar Kotharkar and Vidyadhar and others for setting the tipper on fire. He said that the mob attacked the driver of the tipper and set the vehicle on fire after opening the diesel tank. Members of the Tipper Owners Association gathered in front of the police station and said that anti-social elements in Kinnar village were harassing them. A fire tender was pressed into service. Karwar Rural police are investigating the case.

28 January 2009

Theatre catches fire

DAVANGERE: A tent theatre was burnt down completely here on Tuesday afternoon but no casualties were reported in the accident. A tragedy was averted as the tent caught fire minutes before the afternoon show. Hundreds of people witness dramas every afternoon and a play was scheduled to begin there at 3 p.m. The accident occurred at around 2.40 p.m. By the time fire services personnel rushed to the spot, the tent was reduced to ashes. Vishwa Jyothi Panchakshari Natya Sangha had set up the tent theatre some days ago. The exact reason for the fire was not yet known. The police, however, suspect short-circuit to be the cause.

27 January 2009

Fire guts food court at Forum mall

BANGALORE: What could easily have been a major disaster ended without a single loss of life, thanks to swift action and systematic evacuation when a major fire broke out at The Forum mall here on Monday evening. A major portion of the food court on the second floor was completely gutted. An efficient public address system as well as fire-fighting equipment in working condition averted a major tragedy. But, more than an hour after the fire broke out, no one was sure where it had started. Around 6.15 pm, a fire was noticed at Paramount restaurant in the food court. Immediately, an announcement was made over the PA system and people were swiftly evacuated. There were at least 800-900 people, including staff of various restaurants, in the food court. The staff were confused about the cause of the fire and where it had started. While some said it was at the tandoor kiln at Paramount restaurant, others said it started from Maharaja restaurant. Fire Force commandant B G Chengappa said the fire first broke out in the air handling unit, which manages the air-conditioner and came down to the food court through the cable. This made it difficult for the restaurant staff to handle the fire, he said. However, The Forum mall spokesperson Ali doesn't agree with this. ``In the first place, fire did not break out. Fire was found in some cable and there was a lot of smoke, which caused panic. Secondly, we are yet to ascertain the exact cause and we are cleaning up the premises,'' he added. ``During the fire, usually people die due to inhaling smoke or due to a stampede. The situation was handled well and a tragedy was averted,'' Chengappa said. Staff from a restaurant said it took almost 5-10 minutes for the fire to spread from the first stall to the next. ``This gave everyone enough time to get away,'' they said. However, smoke was the biggest problem, as the centrally air-conditioned mall had little ventilation for it to go out. Smoke could be seen coming out of the building from Hosur Road. After an hour and a half, mall authorities and fire force personnel broke open some fiber glass panels, enabling the smoke to waft out. Restoration of food court: According to fire force officials, it would need at least seven days for the food court area of the mall to be back to normal. At first, four fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Since the internal fire system was good, fire personnel drew water from the internal system and hose and extinguished the fire.

Smoked out of Forum

Click here for Bangalore Mirror article

Disaster averted at Forum Mall

Disaster averted at Forum Mall DH News Service,Bangalore: Alert staff at Forum Mall in Koramangala prevented a major fire mishap on Monday late evening, which could have turned Republic Day into a tragedy.

The incident occurred at around 6.20 pm at the exhaust chamber of the food court on fourth floor, where a cable caught fire and the flames began to spread rapidly. The food court employees who saw the fire immediately alerted the security and in turn, the fire force.

None injured

Four fire tenders were pressed into the service in no time and brought the fire under control. Public in the Mall, including those in the multiplex were evacuated from the spot immediately. There was no loss of life or injury in the incident. The damage caused is being ascertained. Thick smoke and burnt smell of wire and plastic replaced the aroma of freshners and perfumes. K G Chengappa, Director Fire and Emergency Service, who visited the spot, said the reason for the fire accident could be short circuit, but is yet to be ascertained. He said that the building being equipped with suitable fire fighting equipment helped the fire department to control damages to a greater extent. The food court at the mall received most of the damage as one of the kitchen was on fire and the firemen fought for more than four hours to control it. The smoke which spread through the aqua ducts filled the entire building making things difficult for the firemen as well as the security. The electric contractor who arrived on the spot advised the building management not to switch on the power until the area dries out completely. The Adugodi and Jayanagar police, who rushed to the spot, evacuated the visitors to the mall. To avoid panic among the people, they ensured that all the ten exits, including the emergency exits, were kept open. The police said that within 20 minutes the entire mall with a capacity of over 20,000 was empty. Sensing the danger the neighbouring petrol bunk was closed temporarily, while many of the visitors had left behind their vehicles and returned only later in the night to take them back. S Ravi, DCP south, Nissar Ahmed, IGP, Fire and Emergency Service, ACP Ramesh Chandra visited the spot.

Fire in food court at Forum Mall causes panic




Inspection: Fire and Emergency Services personnel assessing the damage after a fire broke out at the food court in the Forum Mall in Bangalore on Monday,

Bangalore: A fire that broke out in one of the kitchens of the Transit Food Court on the second floor of Forum Mall in Koramangala on Monday evening caused panic and tension in the area.Though nobody was injured in the accident and the exact extent of loss is yet to be estimated, sources said goods worth lakhs of rupees have been damaged. The resultant panic created a stampede-like situation with people running helter–skelter in an attempt to move out of the mall. This also affected traffic movement on Hosur Road and all other connecting roads till late in the night. Monday being a holiday, the mall was crowded. While the police and officials from the Fire and Emergency Services suspected that gas leakage in one of the kitchens of the food court could have caused the fire, Mohammed Ali, incharge of Forum Mall, said the fire broke out after a coil burnt inside the air handling unit of the airconditioning equipment in the food court. All power connections were immediately disconnected, Mr Ali said. Though the fire was first noticed around 6.30 p.m., the process of putting it out began only after personnel from the Fire and Emergency Services arrived on the spot almost an hour later. Official sources said though the mall had fire hydrants and fire extinguishers on every floor, none of the employees bothered to switch them on soon after the fire was noticed. “The mall has 200 employees deployed for house-keeping and maintenance apart from those employed by the owners of the commercial establishments and shops. But none of them are trained in safety measures. They should have used the fire safety equipment in the mall soon after the fire was noticed,” the sources said. It took nearly one and half hours for the police to vacate the mall, including those from the multiplex. Those who had parked their vehicles in the basement of the complex were stranded near the mall as the police barricaded the entire area. The police did not allow the vehicle owners to take out their vehicles from the parking lot as they were not sure which portion of the mall had been damaged the worst. “We do not want to take any chances. A detailed inspection of the building will be carried out by officials from the Department of Factories and Boilers, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and fire services after which a decision on whether to demolish the damaged portion or repair it will be taken,” a senior police official said. Subashini Navaratnam, who was in the food court in the mall, said she had ordered for food and was sitting in the lounge with her friend. “I did not realise there was a fire till people started screaming and running out. The electric escalators had stopped functioning and all of us started climbing down the stairs. It was a stampede-like situation but luckily none of us were hurt,” she said. M. Mahadevan, an advocate, who was celebrating a personal occasion with his senior in the food court, said he did not realise what was happening for a moment. “People were running helter-skelter and everyone was moving towards the exit. Someone told me there was a fire. But we did not panic,” he said.


Posted by Picasa

23 January 2009

Bridge at Hampi collapses; six feared dead, 35 injured



HAMPI: The two-way cable-stayed bridge across river Tungabhadra, linking the world famous Hampi with Anegundi, which was under construction, collapsed on Thursday afternoon. At least six labourers, working at the spot at the time, are feared to have drowned and thirty-five are injured.
Work for laying concrete for the portion in the middle of the bridge was under way when the accident took place. The labourers had just returned to work after the lunch break when a major section of the bridge on the Anegundi side and one part on the Hampi side collapsed. Some of the injuries sustained by the labourers are said to be serious. Some of them swam to safety while others were ferried to safety by the coracle operators who were nearby.
The cables on the Anegundi side of the bridge have been broken and one of the pylons has developed cracks. Whether the cables already laid had become weak and could not withstand the weight of the iron scaffoldings, or whether the collapse was caused by some other cause has not been ascertained yet. A rescue team from the Fire and Emergency Services, had not recovered any body till 8 p.m.
“After having our lunch we came back to work. Suddenly we heard a sound and a jerk. Within a fraction of a second, the bridge collapsed,” Suryababu, one of the labourers, told The Hindu.
According to him, more than 35 workers were on top of the bridge and most of them were safe and were shifted to hospitals at Hospet and Gangavati for treatment.

12 January 2009

Minor fire in railway pantry car




Assessing damage: A security personnel inspecting the pantry car of Pantry car of Rajdhani Express which caught fire at Bangalore Railway station on Monday.

BANGALORE: A minor fire broke out inside the pantry car of the Bangalore-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express when the rake was undergoing maintenance at the yard near City Railway Station here on Monday afternoon. While no immediate cause for the fire was made known, the Fire Force personnel and the South Western Railway (SWR) authorities are investigating the cause. Workers cleaning the pantry car noticed the fire first which then spread to the chimney and other equipment near the cooking platform. The ceiling of the car and window panes were also damaged. The workers doused the blaze with fire extinguishers and brought it under control even as two fire tenders arrived at the spot. The Fire Force personnel swung into action and completely brought the fire under control. Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer Govinda Pande and other senior officials visited the spot. Meanwhile, more than 18 passenger trains on the Bangalore-Chennai sector were delayed by 10 to 90 minutes after the engine of the Bangalore-Coimbatore Intercity Express “ceased” near the Cantonment Railway Station on Monday morning.
Posted by Picasa

05 January 2009

Smoke from burning garbage affects schoolchildren at Vamanjoor

MANGALORE: The thick smoke and foul smell emanating from the garbage dumping yard at Vamanjoor on the Mangalore-Moodbidri have affected people around the area.
Tonnes of garbage from Mangalore accumulated over several months in the 35-acre dumping yard at Vamanjoor has been burning for a few days now. Although flames are not visible, the firemen, who have been striving to put off the fire, said that the fire had spread to 10 to 20 feet depth.
K. Sheker Kottary, fire officer on duty there, said: “I do not know how many days it will take to bring this fire under control.” Firemen said more fire engines and adequate and regular supply of water were needed to bring it under control.
Environment Engineer of the Mangalore City Corporation Manjunath Shetty told The Hindu that production of methane gas – which is self-inflammable – was the cause of the fire. The vents provided for the escape of gas had been covered as garbage had been dumped recklessly.
According to Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Karnataka Medical College, P.P. Jagadish Rao, methane gas is toxic and can cause respiratory problems, particularly for children.
A composite school for both physically challenged and normal children, is adjacent to the garbage dumping yard. Its premises has been leased out by the city corporation. As this correspondent entered the school on Friday afternoon, two teachers came out covering their noses with handkerchiefs. One teacher said a couple of students had developed nausea, probably owing to inhaling the toxic smoke. Another teacher said, she was forced conduct classes with all the windows and doors closed. Ganesh Bhat, administrator of SDM-Mangala Jyhoti Integrated School, hoped that the fire would be brought under control quickly.
In the school’s ground, the children were playing on the swings or other games, unmindful of the smoke. More than 50 students in uniforms were waiting for buses at the bus-stand on the nearby highway. One resident said this was the second time in the past two months that the garbage had caught fire. Firemen struggling to extinguish the fire were themselves concerned about their health. One of them, on the condition of anonymity, said: “we are forced to inhale this poisonous gas. It will affect our health,” he said. The masks provided to them were not of great help, said the fire officer.