Fire brigade officials fought through thick plumes of smoke and rescued 80 panic-stricken occupants of a building when they rushed to the building terrace after fire broke out on the first floor, on Dharam Karam Road in Ameerpet on Monday.
Soon after flames erupted in Bhavya Srisailam Arcade, a five-storeyed building, employees working in offices on other floors scrambled to the terrace and began shouting for help.
With thick smoke billowing out of the building, none came forward to rescue them. Fire fighters who rushed to the scene had to battle flames on the first floor, while another team led by Fire Officer K. Vijay Kumar rushed up the internal staircase using powerful dragon lights.
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After confirming that it was the best route to rescue employees, he reached the terrace and guided the panicky employees down.
Some occupants were hesitant to use the staircase, but were persuaded to rush down. In about 45 minutes, the entire building was evacuated.
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“We managed to rescue the employees unhurt,” said a happy Mr. Kumar.
Though fire officials said the exact reasons for the mishap were yet to be established, senior authorities suspect that electrical short-circuit could have caused fire.
“We never thought that it's going to be so serious. After fire engulfed the premises, we ran out of the floor and reached the terrace,” recalled Rajiv Sharma, marketing head, Evershine Build Limited. Food World, Citi Bank, and 12 other private firms are housed in the complex that lacked mandatory fire safety systems.
A banquet-cum-conference hall was located on the terrace.
They said flames erupted from a beauty parlour under renovation on the first-floor. Combustible material such as plywood, thermocol, cardboards and cartons were placed in the parlour and it made difficult for firemen to douse the fire.
As they were unable to enter building due to a glass façade, police and passers-by hurled stones on the façade to break it and allow smoke to diffuse.
When hurling stones proved ineffective in breaking the glass, police requisitioned a pneumatic earth remover and used its arm to break the glass façade.
The fire brigade had to struggle for more than four hours to control the fire. “We used ten water tankers and a hydraulic platform for fire-fighting exercise,” said Regional Fire Officer G. V. Narayana Rao.
Water board officials assisted firemen by supplying additional water tankers.
Police too swung into action to regulate vehicular traffic that was disrupted from Greenlands to Ameerpet.