Gas Leakage at Local LPG Refilling Centre Creates Panic

Puttur, Feb 25: The incident of gas leakage at Konkan Gas Refilling Centre, Yemaje near Mittur here on Thursday February 25 created panic and turned the situation tensed in the area for a while. However, fortunately no casualties have been reported. The leakage that was accompanied with fire in the evening at about 5.00 pm began spreading rapidly. However, the timely arrival of fire department personnel averted further damage as the fire was doused within 15 minutes. The fire fighting equipment at the plant too was made use of.

It is learnt that 40 tonnes of LPG was stored in the plant. However, the fire department personnel have let the gas leak out completely for the pressure released thereby cannot be controlled through any operation. The gas has spread in the area of about three kilometres and the public have been alerted to take precautionary measures. The fire department personnel with ten fire fighting engines from various stations in the district have camped on the spot in order to effectively face any kind of eventuality. The situation will only be danger-free after all the gas dissolves from the area, informed the fire department personnel. As a precautinary measure, the police and fire department have banned the use of mobile phones, camera, electrical and electronic items in the surrounding areas spreading for about two kilometres.

Bangalore is short of fire stations

Bangalore: The closest fire station that can cater to the Bengaluru International airport is in Hebbal, nearly 30km away. This is not all. The fire and emergency department had proposed to the state government last year to set up eight fire stations in various parts of the city, including at Electronics City, ITPL, Banashankari, Kanakapura Road, Sarjapur, Hulimavu, Yelahanka and Devanahalli.

However, work has begun only on setting up stations at Sarjapur and Hulimavu, while plans for other areas have run intoland acquisition hurdles. “We require at least one acre to set up a fire station. The total cost would amount to Rs3 crore. Lands have been identified, but they are embroiled in litigations,” deputy director (technical), fire and emergency services, BK Hamppagol, said. He said that going by international standards, there should be one fire station for every 50,000 population. But the city has only 12 fire stations. They are located at High Grounds, Mysore Road, Mayo Hall, Padmanabhanagar, Yeshwantpur, Banaswadi, Whitefield, Peenya industrial town, Bangalore dairy, Hebbal, Cooke Town and Byappanahalli. Each station has a 50,000-litre underground water storage capacity, while a fire tender can store anywhere between 4,500 litres and 16,000 litres, depending on their capacity. In cases where more water is needed, either additional vehicles would be pooled in, or water would be drawn from BWSSB pipelines, bore wells and open tanks. The city currently has 40 vehicles. If more vehicles are procured, there will be parking issues. D Rasheed, deputy director (administration) of the fire department, said that in the case of Carlton Towers, people could have used the water from their water cans to control the fire until the fire personnel reached the spot.

Bangalore top cop lays down guidelines to fight fire

Bangalore: Police commissioner Shankar M Bidari on Thursday issued guidelines to police officers on how to respond to fire accidents and how to help and co-ordinate with the firefighters in the event of fires like Tuesday’s Carlton Towers incident.

The guidelines “issued for strict compliance” come in the wake of a blamegame between the fire and emergency services and the police departments on why their efforts could not avoid the nine deaths that occurred at Carlton Towers. Top officials of the fire and emergency services department had blamed the police for failing to cordon off the area around Carlton Towers, thus causing hindrance for the firefighters to reach the spot in time, besides the huge traffic jams that blocked the firefighters’ way. “The fire accident… has given scope for certain misunderstanding regarding the role of police and fire force in dealing with fire accidents, particularly serious fire accidents,” the official memorandum carrying the guidelines for the police officers, and undersigned by Bidari, stated. “Hence the guidelines are issued for strict compliance to all police officers…” They stipulate the role of the civil police and the traffic police while co-ordinating and facilitating the fire personnel’s services. It includes how the police should react and clear the roads for ambulances and firefighters. “All police officers are told to remain at the spot till the fire fighting operations are over and the fire is brought under control,” the guidelines state.

Carlton Towers was anything but rescue-friendly

Bangalore: Tuesday’s fire mishap at the seven-storey Carlton Towers was a nightmare not only for the occupants of the 90-odd companies and commercial establishments housed there, but also the fire fighters who jumped headlong into the rescue operations.The fire men admitted that gross building violations rendered their operations next to impossible.

“Our experienced fire fighters themselves were struggling inside Carlton Towers. I can very well imagine the trauma of the people who were trapped inside the building,” M Sharief, regional fire officer, who was part of the rescue operations, said. “Each floor of the building has been divided into 14 portions that are occupied by various commercial establishments. The building has a centralised duct for the lift service and a staircase serving as the centralised exit. Also, every floor has two exit points. The trouble arose because every exit point was blocked with grills or padlocks. Besides, each owner had cordoned off his or her area to ensure that no one else could access it,” Sharief said. The 200-odd firemen were groping in the smoke-filled building. “We were stuck in the hallway of each floor as there was no space to move. After reaching the sixth and seventh floors, the smoke started stagnated in the centralised way. This is why people in those floors suffered from asphyxiation, unlike those on the lower floors. We spent at least 15 to 20 minutes finding the smaller exits on each floor and cutting open the grills. It then took us another 15 to 20 minutes to break open each door,” Sharief said. The establishments had secured their doors with access control systems, which got jammed due to the fire. When the fire started in the centralised duct it first spread to the centralised exits and then travelled upwards. “The toxic gases spread to each floor. Since the centralised exit was full of smoke and fire, and the smaller exits on each floor were locked, there was no way to move around,” he said. Also, the firemen had no proper breathing apparatus and had to take five-minute breaks in between to breathe. They said the apparatus were heavy and that would have hindered the operation. According to senior officers in the fire department, barricading exit points was a massive violation, for which the building and the company owners should be held responsible. “When Carlton Towers was constructed, the fire department issued the NOC as all safety norms were adhered to. But later the building was partitioned into several areas, and sold to companies. Instead of thinking about training their staff and providing evacuation points,these companies followed their own norms. Though there were sprinklers, smoke detectors and even exit points, nothing was working properly. We do not have the provision to conduct periodic audits. Otherwise, the fire could have been prevented from becoming a major mishap,” a senior officer in the department said.

Firemen injured

Bangalore: Five officials of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services also sustained burns in the Carlton Towers fire on Tuesday. “Chief Fire Officer (East Range) K.U. Ramesh, Fire Station Officer K.R. Veerabhadriah and firemen K.T. Prakash, Guruswamy and Venkanna were treated at different hospitals,” said an officer.

Worker dies during building renovation at Jayanagar Crime Notes

The portion of the building which collapsed at Jayanagar 7th Block in Bangalore on Monday.

Bangalore: A labourer was killed and another injured when a portion of the first floor of an old buliding they were working on in Jayanagar 7th Block here collapsed on Monday. The Banashankari police said the victim, Sanna Thimmanna (30) of Raichur, his colleague Ramanna(35) and three others were involved in the renovation of the first floor of the building, owned by Madegowda. A portion of a sunshade fell on Thimmanna's head and he died on the spot. Fire & Emergency Services personnel removed Thimmanna's body, Ramanna, who was injured in the leg, was rushed to a private hospital. The Banashankari Police have taken up a case of negligence against the building owner.

Videos of Carlton Tower Fire on 23-02-2010

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Bangalore high-rise fire kills nine

BANGALORE: Nine people, three of them women, died and 68 were injured in a fire at Carlton Towers, a seven-storey commercial complex on HAL Airport Road, here on Tuesday. Seven were brought dead to the hospital. At least three of them leapt to their death by breaking open windows on the sixth and seventh floors in panic even as a thick blanket of smoke engulfed the floors.

Origin in service duct : Disturbing images of three people jumping to their deaths were broadcast on television, starkly reminiscent of the initial images of the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in the U.S. The fire is believed to have begun in the service duct in the second floor around 4.30 p.m. Smoke spread to the upper floors through the service ducts, scattering people in offices and the several restaurants in the building. The Fire and Emergency Services, which were alerted by passersby who noticed smoke emanating from the top floors, reached the place at 5 p.m. Seven fire engines were deployed and medical and paramedical personnel, armed with 1,000 masks from the nearby Manipal Hospital, rushed to the spot. Fire personnel said the flames were doused by 6.15 p.m., adding that the absence of proper ventilation aggravated the situation. The injured include five Fire and Emergency Services personnel and a police constable. Traffic was disrupted as large crowds of anxious onlookers gathered below the building.

“Only smoke, no flames” : Onlookers said they did not see any flames, only smoke.Manipal Hospital Medical Director H.S. Ballal said that none of the deceased sustained burns. “Several people in the Intensive Care Units currently require lung support. Most suffered from asphyxiation due to thick smoke,” he said.

The deceased : The list of the deceased persons, released by the hospital, is as follows: Savitha, Benzi Shanthakumar, Rajesh Subramaniam, Surabhi Joshi, Purohit Madan, Sunil Iyer, Fayaz Pasha, Akhil Uday and Siddharth Padam. Their identities were ascertained from their ID cards and name plates. Their bodies were taken to Victoria and Bowring Hospital for autopsy. Rakesh Ramachandran, part of the fire rescue team the neighbouring luxury hotel Leela Palace, said that the exit doors on every floor were locked. He had rushed to Carlton Towers following a call from a friend who was trapped in the building. The locked doors made it impossible for people to use the stairs that led to the ground floor, he claimed.

Mysore: 53 cars gutted in fire at a Tata showroom

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ಮೈಸೂರು: 34 ಕಾರುಗಳು ಬೆಂಕಿಗೆ ಆಹುತಿ

ಆಕಸ್ಮಿಕ ಬೆಂಕಿ ತಗು ಲಿದ ಪರಿಣಾಮ ಸುಮಾರು ರೂ 1.50 ಕೋಟಿ ಮೌಲ್ಯದ 34 ಹೊಚ್ಚ ಹೊಸ ಕಾರುಗಳು ಬೆಂಕಿಗೆ ಆಹುತಿ ಯಾ ಗಿ ರುವ ಘಟನೆ ಮೈಸೂರು ನಗರದ ಹೊರ ವಲ ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾನುವಾರ ಮಧ್ಯಾಹ್ನ ಸಂಭವಿಸಿದೆ.

ಮೈಸೂರು: ಆಕಸ್ಮಿಕ ಬೆಂಕಿ ತಗು ಲಿದ ಪರಿಣಾಮ ಸುಮಾರು ರೂ 1.50 ಕೋಟಿ ಮೌಲ್ಯದ 34 ಹೊಚ್ಚ ಹೊಸ ಕಾರುಗಳು ಬೆಂಕಿಗೆ ಆಹುತಿ ಯಾ ಗಿ ರುವ ಘಟನೆ ನಗರದ ಹೊರ ವಲ ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾನುವಾರ ಮಧ್ಯಾಹ್ನ ಸಂಭವಿಸಿದೆ. ಕಾಂತರಾಜ ಅರಸ್ ಕಾರು ಮಾರಾಟ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗೆ ಸೇರಿದ ಹೆಬ್ಬಾಳು ಕೈಗಾರಿಕಾ ಪ್ರದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ದಾಸ್ತಾನು ಘಟಕ ದಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಘಟನೆ ಸಂಭವಿಸಿದೆ. ಟಾಟಾ ಮತ್ತು ಫಿಯಟ್ ಕಂಪೆನಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಸೇರಿದ ರೂ.5 ಕೋಟಿ ಮೌಲ್ಯದ 130 ಕಾರು ಗಳನ್ನು ನಿಲುಗಡೆ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದ ಸಂದರ್ಭ ದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಧ್ಯಾಹ್ನ 2.30ರ ಸುಮಾರಿ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಂಕಿ ಆಕಸ್ಮಿಕ ಸಂಭವಿಸಿದೆ. ಸ್ಥಳದಲ್ಲಿ ಭದ್ರತಾ ಸಿಬ್ಬಂದಿಯಾಗಿ ಕಾರ್ಯ ನಿರ್ವಹಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಪುಟ್ಟಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಬೆಂಕಿ ಹೊತ್ತಿಕೊಂಡ ಕೂಡಲೇ ಅಗ್ನಿ ಶಾಮಕ ಪೊಲೀಸರಿಗೆ ವಿಷಯ ಮುಟ್ಟಿ ಸಿ ದ್ದಾರೆ. ಸ್ಥಳಕ್ಕೆ ಮೂರು ಅಗ್ನಿಶಾಮಕ ವಾಹನಗಳು ಆಗಮಿಸಿದವು. ಅಗ್ನಿ ಶಾಮಕ ಸಿಬ್ಬಂದಿ ಸತತ ಒಂದು ಗಂಟೆ ಕಾಲ ಕಾರ್ಯಾಚರಣೆ ನಡೆಸಿ ಬೆಂಕಿ ನಂದಿಸುವಲ್ಲಿ ಯಶಸ್ವಿಯಾದರು.ಬೆಂಕಿಗಾಹುತಿಯಾದ ಕಾರುಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊರತುಪಡಿಸಿ ನಿಲುಗಡೆ ಮಾಡ ಲಾಗಿದ್ದ 10 ಕಾರುಗಳಿಗೆ ಬೆಂಕಿಯಿಂದ ಅನಾಹುತವಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಪ್ರಕರಣ ದಾಖಲಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವ ಮೇಟಗಳ್ಳಿ ಪೊಲೀಸರು ತಿಳಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

36 cars worth R 1.5 cr gutted

In all 36 cars worth Rs 1.5 crore were gutted in an accidental fire in a stock yard in Hebbal Industrial Area in the city on Sunday.

Fire erupted around 2.30 pm at the yard belonging to ‘Urs Kar’ a dealer of Tata and Fiat companies where about 130 cars had been parked.However, there are mixed versions about the cause of the mishap. According to the security personnel of the yard the spark that triggered from the bursting of transformer caused the fire. While officials doubt that it may have happened due to heat in the yard comprising dried weeds and shrubs. Fire was put down in an hour by the fire personnel. Metagalli police have registered a case.

Two houses gutted

HUBLI: Two houses were gutted in a fire accident at Veerapur Oni in Hubli on Wednesday. There was no casualty. According to preliminary investigation, the fire was caused by leaking LPG cylinders. The incident occurred at the residence of Rafiq Naregal when one of the family members lit the gas stove. Fire fighters were pressed into service immediately and they put out the fire before it spread to other houses.

Are you safe in that high-rise you live or work?

ONE THAT BIT THE DUST: Civic authorities have been found wanting in ensuring that buildings are constructed as per building byelaws and the National Building Code.
BANGALORE: The collapse of a seven-storey building under construction in Bellary on January 26, which claimed 27 lives, has brought into sharp focus several chinks and lacunae in safety norms followed in the building construction industry. Even as the district administration in Bellary is tracking the cause of the collapse and looking at the state of other buildings under construction, developers, officials as well as civic agencies admit that violation of building plans is normal in cities. The large building complexes — offices, housing apartments, malls, multiplexes — that have changed the urbanscape of many cities, including Bangalore, in the last few years do not have any mandatory inspections to ensure that building plans and fire safety norms are in place. Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike officials reveal that deviation from the sanctioned buildings plans “is quite the accepted norm rather than an exception”. Developers confess to deviating even up to 10 per cent from the sanctioned plan in many of the buildings. Violations in setbacks around buildings, non-installation of fire equipment, congested staircases, entry to the main building from basement, narrow entry roads and absence of trained personnel to tackle emergencies are major causes of concern in all high rise buildings, said a developer who did not want his name mentioned.

Poor quality sand
Another factor that compromises building safety is the extensive use of filtered sand in many structures in the city. “This is not (good) quality sand and it does not have a binding nature. Tragedy is waiting to happen in many constructions in the city,” said Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde, who is inquiring into cases of illegal sand mining and violations of buildings norms.
Definition and loophole
Civic authorities have been found wanting in ensuring that the buildings are constructed as per building byelaws and the National Building Code. For starters, the problem begins with the definition of high rise buildings. There are two different definitions in vogue. While the Master Plan 2015 prepared by the Bangalore Development Authority — and binding on the BBMP — defines a high rise building as one of a height of 24 metres (approximately ground and seven floors) or more, the BBMP’s Building Byelaw 2003 (followed by the BBMP authorities) defines any building with ground plus four floors as a high rise building. This is what has been prescribed in the National Building Code of the Bureau of Indian Standards. Not surprisingly, this loophole is often exploited by builders in the city.

Town Planning
No serious efforts have been made either by the Urban Development Department or the BBMP to strengthen the machinery looking at the building construction. “The town planners are not conversant with the basic requirements of construction-related law,” Mr. Hegde said. Zonal engineers, he said, have not been monitoring construction progress as mandated under the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act. The Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services Department looks at the compliance of fire protection arrangements for multi-storied buildings as prescribed by the National Building Code and the National Electrical Code. It includes a fire escape, fire pump and storage tank at the ground level, lift, lightning protection device, fire alarm, and extinguishers. The department prescribes the necessities at the time of the plan sanction and checks before giving clearance for occupation of the building. The law does not permit the department to have periodical inspection of the fire safety systems at these buildings.
“Once we are satisfied with the fire safety measures, we issue an NOC. We don’t know whether the building owner/occupant continues to adhere to those standards,” said B.G. Chengappa, Director, Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services.

Pre-emptive measures
Mr. Hegde said the Government should seriously apply its mind to the problem and take immediate steps to check irregularities, violation and unscientific execution of work as pre-emptive measures against building collapse. Former Upalokayukta G. Patri Basavanagoud said: “Those who purchase flats in multi-storey buildings should take an active part in the construction to ensure not only quality construction but also compliance with building norms.”

Fire Erupts in Dump Yard; Smoke Envelopes Over 300 Homes

Mangalore, Feb 1: Nearly 300 houses in Vamanjoor and Pachchanady area have been engulfed with smoke due to a huge fire that broke out in the dump yard at Pachachanady on Sunday January 31. The fire has spread over a vast area in the dump yard and could not be controlled by the fire department. The fire spread over nearly 30 percent of the dump yard after five hours of continuously burning solid waste. The yard is meant for dumping the solid waste of the city and is managed by the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC). The smoke can be felt upto five kilometers from the dump yard. “The fire started in the morning around 11am but it continued to spread in the yard”, said Ramesh, a local resident. He said that they cannot stay in their houses due to the bad smell and smoke that was spreading around. “Fires in the yard are common, but it is the first time that one is spreading over a huge area”, added Ramesh. Most of the local residents who arrived at the spot expressed anger against the MCC for negligence. Residents from the nearest 300 houses expressed their fears about the impact on their health and daily routine. They said that nothing could be seen inside the houses due to the smoke and they could move out for fear of suffocation and the smell of waste burning. Fire department personnel began their operation in the morning, but the fire has not been controlled even after several hours and it is supposed to continue through the night also. Vijaya, an officer from the fire department, said that personnel are operating on a war footing and pulling out all stops to control the fire. A source from the MCC has said that the dumping of chemical and medical waste in the yard is the reason for frequent fires. The waste from chemical industries and hospitals is allegedly dumped illegally at the yard in the night. The source claimed that some of the MCC employees are also involved in this. The chemical content in the waste ignites the fire in sunlight.