24 July 2010

Fire Breaks Out At Astrophysics Institute

Their presence of mind averts another Carlton

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: It could have been another Carlton on Friday afternoon, but thankfully, it wasn’t. A fire which broke out at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Koramangala, was handled with great calm by those trapped inside.
The fire broke out on the ground floor and smoke engulfed the entire building till the fourth floor. There were at least 40 people inside. Smoke had covered the entire staircase, making it impossible for them to use it.
However, the discipline among inmates and timely intimation to the fire department saved the day. All they did was identify a safe place, open some of the windows on the fourth floor and wait there till the fire personnel arrived.
The Fire Force rescued over 40 members holed up on the fourth floor, and also extinguished the fire. The entire operation was completed in less than one hour.

LUNCH HOUR BLAZE

The fire started around 1.20 pm, when many of the employees were out for lunch. It was first noticed in the server room, which is next to the staircase on the ground floor. Even before anyone realized there was a fire, the smoke started travelling through the staircase and filled the other floors.
Since it was lunch hour, there were only around 45 people inside the building. They moved to the fourth floor and called up the fire force.
Seven fire tenders from Jayanagar and surrounding areas were rushed to the spot. While two were fighting the fire in the server room, the other fire tenders raised their ladders and began rescue work, bringing everyone down safely.
Fire Force director B G Chengappa said it was discipline that was the saviour. “Since it was lunch hour, there was little traffic on the road, which helped us reach the place early,’’ he said.
Chengappa said they suspect the fire was triggered by either a short-circuit or overload on the server. “One thing we learnt was not to allow the server room next to the staircase,’’ he added.


TIMELY ACTION: A member of the Fire Force checks out the damage at the Institute of Astrophysics


 
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From Times of India dated 24-07-2010

ಭಾರತೀಯ ಖಗೋಳ ಭೌತಶಾಸ್ತ್ರ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅಗ್ನಿದುರಂತ

 
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From Prajavani dated 24-07-2010.

ಸಮಯ ಪ್ರಜ್ನೆಯಿಂದ ತಪ್ಪಿದ ಅನಾಹುತ

 
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From Vijayakarnataka dated 24-07-2010

21 July 2010

Eight of a family drown in Tungabhadra



Accident spot:Rescuers searching for bodies in the Tungabhadra at Madalgatti village near Hadagali town in Bellary district on Tuesday.

BELLARY: Eight persons, including two women, from one family drowned in the Tungabhadra at Madalgatti village near Hadagali town in Bellary district on Tuesday.All the eight, along with 10 others, had come from Gadag-Betageri to immerse the ashes of a relative who died recently into the river near the ancient temple of Madalgatti Anjaneya.

Washed away

Krishnamurthy Hoskote, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Hadagali, told The Hindu that after performing the rituals, Vishnusa (33), carrying the ashes, stepped into the river and was washed away in the wink of an eye by the strong current. The seven others tried to rescue him and were also washed away.According to an eyewitness, all the eight ignored the warning from people in the area and also the signboards asking people not to step into the river as there were strong currents following heavy rain upstream for the past couple of days. The dead are Vishnusa (33), Nagarajsa Baddi (45), Maniksa (48), Yellusa (80), Rajasa (40), Tikusa (40), Amruta (32) and Ambabai (50), some of whom were residents of Hubli. On getting the information, Mr. Hoskote and his staff rushed to the spot. After assessing the situation, he requisitioned the services of Fire and Emergency Services personnel besides local swimmers to retrieve the bodies. Local fishermen had already swung into action to trace the bodies, but none had been recovered till late in the evening.

14 July 2010