Major fire in mini-Vidhana Soudha

Charred: What remains of the land records office in the mini-Vidhana Soudha in Gulbarga on Monday.

GULBARGA: Hundreds of files containing land and survey records and several computers with important data on land records, and furniture worth several lakhs of rupees were lost in a major fire in the office of the Land Records and City Survey office, on the third floor of the mini-Vidhana Soudha which houses all State Government offices in the city on Monday. The fire was noticed by the workers in the canteen, which is situated at the back of the mini-Vidhana Soudha in the morning. They alerted the Police and the Fire and Emergency Services departments. By the time the fire tenders and fire-fighting personnel arrived on the scene and doused the fire, a lot of damage had been done. Officials of the department could retrieve very little from the charred remains. The officials of the Land Records and City Survey office put up a brave face and said that important files were not destroyed and only copies of original records and a few applications seeking survey of properties were lost in the fire. Data stored They said all original records pertaining to land survey records of Gulbarga taluk and Gulabrga city had been digitalised and copied in the master compact discs, and stored in a safe place. They said people need not panic about their records. “All the important files are safe,” said a senior official who did not want to be quoted. The official also claimed that the fire had not engulfed the main record room where some of the important files were kept in steel safes. The cause of the fire was not known, and the police and Fire and Emergency Services personnel were yet to decide on whether it was caused by an accident or from an electrical short circuit. The sabotage factor has not been ruled out since important files pertaining to all property rights and original documents are kept in the office. The police and the fire personnel said that they were not sure when the fire started.

Plastics factory on K.R.Road caught fire

FROM: Prajavani

Fire at Nagarahole, Chamundi Hills

Raging: The fire that broke out in two places in Chamundi Hills on Monday.

MYSORE: A major fire was reported at Nagarahole National Park on Monday. The fire, which destroyed large tracts of vegetation was noticed at Metikuppe, Veerahosanahalli and surrounding ranges but there are no reliable estimates of the extent of damage. Both Nagarahole and Bandipur National Parks have been ravaged by fires this season due to lack of rain. The region last received precipitation during September and October. Sources in the Forest Department said this was one of the longest dry spells experienced in both Bandipur and Nagarahole. Meanwhile, fire broke out at Chamundi Hills at two places late on Monday night. The fire was visible along a stretch of nearly 2 kms near Uttanahalli. But the extent of damage is not clear. Fire engines were rushed to the spot but they could not reach the exact spot where the fire had broken out.

Saras crashes, three IAF pilots killed

BANGALORE: A Saras prototype II, India’s first indigenously developed multi-role transport aircraft, which was on a test flight, crashed near Bidadi, on Friday instantly killing three Indian Air Force officers. The reason for the crash is yet to be ascertained. Designed and developed by National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL), the aircraft took off from HAL Airport at 2.55 p.m. before coming down around 3.30 p.m. near Seshagirihalli off Bangalore-Mysore Highway. Pilot Wing Commander K. Praveen, co-pilot Wing Commander D.K. Saha and flight engineer Squadron Leader S. Ilyaraja were charred to death as the flight burst into flames soon after it crashed in an open field. According to NAL officials, the aircraft lost contact with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at 3.30 p.m. It was on a regular test flight, officials said. Sources said that such sorties were done twice a day and the aircraft took the same route for its training sorties. “We saw the aircraft coming down abruptly and followed the direction in which it went. It turned abruptly and started losing height. After a couple of somersaults in mid-air, it crashed. I could notice smoke from a distance,” said Anand, an eyewitness, recollecting the sequence of events before the aircraft crashed.

“Two loud blasts”
“As we went close, we heard two loud blasts. Except the tail-end of the aircraft, everything was burnt,” he added.Mr. Anand, a resident of Ramanagara, who was driving with his friend on the Mysore Road, claimed he informed the Ramanagara police immediately. While five fire tenders were rushed to the spot, Mr. Anand said everything was burnt by the time the fire engines reached the spot. The three experienced pilots along with the aircraft had taken part in the recently concluded Aero India 2009. Aircraft debris, including the propeller and parachute, were found strewn around the area, and some partially burnt parts were recovered as much as 500 metres away from the crash site. As the surging crowd threatened to run over the crash site, the police cordoned off the area to help the IAF officials locate the data recorder, black box and other details that could provide reasons for the crash. The charred bodies that were beyond recognition were salvaged from the debris around 7 p.m. Two rescue helicopters with some officials of the NAL and IAF were sent to the spot. The officials of Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are expected to visit the spot to conduct an inquiry on Saturday morning.

Woman burnt to death in fire accident

TUMKUR: A woman was burnt to death, 20 huts were destroyed, sheep and heads of cattle gutted in a fire at Akkirampura, near here on Tuesday. The reason for the fire was not known. Fire engines were rushed from the Fire Station here. They took four hours to extinguish the flames.
The police identified the victim as Lakshmi (70). The fire rendered over 300 people homeless. Relief work was yet to begin.Schoolchildren, among the victims, were worried over the loss of their textbooks and notebooks.