Hyderabad fire: Traders will be compensated, fire safety measures enhanced, says AIIES president

A day after a blaze gutted scores of shops at the

Numaish , All India Industrial Exhibition Society president Etala Rajender said that the revenue department will assess losses and take steps to compensate affected traders and upgrade fire safety measures.

Mr. Rajender was addressing the media at the AIIES office where he pointed out that as many as 130 traders operating 200 shops were affected in the raging fire that tore through a section of the Numaish .

He said that a team comprising revenue officials, including tahsildars, would assess losses and submit a report. The report would then be action upon. He also said that the AIIES would compensate a part of the losses.

Interestingly, Mr. Rajender said that at this juncture, it would not be possible to comment decisively on the cause of fire. He said he was unsure whether the blaze was caused by a short-circuit or a cigarette stub. He admitted that there was combustible material such as wood which was used in making stalls or kiosks. In the future, these would be replaced with iron, he added.

He also dismissed allegations that fire engines stationed at the Numaish had insufficient water and that the distance between the place of fire and these vehicles was only 100 metres.

Touching upon future fire safety measures, Mr. Rajender said that the number of fire engines stationed at Numaish would be increased from two to four. The carriageway would be widened so as to facilitate better movement of these vehicles in case of a future fire. He assured stakeholders that modern fire safety equipment would soon be put in place.

To take stock of stall placement to minimise possibility of future mishaps, Mr. Rajender said that an agency would soon be engaged to submit suggestions. He admitted that shops, and the materials they stocked, were not insured - in the future, an insurance component is being mulled.

The AIIES is also deliberating on how many days the Numaish can be extended. The focus is to restore trust between the AIIES and traders, he said.