Police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel rushed to the Chennai Silks building early morning on Wednesday and opened the shutters of its ground floor to spray water inside. A few youngsters, who were preparing food in the kitchen of the top floor of the building and two others, stuck their heads out of the window and shouted for help. Using a skylift, the rescue personnel brought them down, one by one. Around 14 persons were rescued by around 8 a.m.
Over 150 personnel and 25 water tenders were pressed into service besides several Metrowater tanker lorries.
Until afternoon, they were not able to put out the fire in the front portion of the building since it was covered with glass, wood and a concrete wall. There was no opening for the fire brigade to spray water inside.
The Director General of Police and Director, Fire and Rescue Services, S. George told The Hindu , “Since morning, we have deployed around 150 officers and personnel from all over the city and adjoining districts. We have mobilised additional vehicles from other districts. The personnel were not able to control the fire since the building was completely sealed either with concrete or glass. Hence, we had to cool down the building first by spraying water.”
M.Shahul Hameed, Joint Director, Northern Region, told The Hindu , “Thick smoke prevented us from moving forward. Fire spread out to the rear portion and other parts as well due to heat since there is no ventilation in the building.”
Even as the fire brigade worked hard, the fire quickly climbed up to the other floors, because the textile showroom is stocked with inflammable materials. They had to break open windows, glass, and concrete too to spray water into the building.
Finance and Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar, Revenue Minister R.B.Udayakumar, and Health Minister C. Vijaya Bhaskar visited the spot.
Director General of Police and Director of Fire and Rescue Services S. George and City Police Commissioner A.K.Viswanathan supervised the rescue operations.
Mr. Udayakumar said: “The Commissioner of Revenue Administration checked the attendance register of the company. There is no human loss. All people have been accounted for.”
Eyewitness accounts
J. Ayyappan, resident of Pinjalai Subramanian street, said in the early morning there was smoke from the bottom of the building. "Many early morning walkers like me thought that labourers were doing some welding there. Only after a few minutes did we realise that it was a fire. Since 5 a.m, the Fire and Rescue Services personnel were fighting to bring the fire under control,” he said.
Jayaraman, of the T. Nagar Residents Welfare Association, said that the locals had filed a case in the High Court in 2014 on the multiple violations in the buildings in the T. Nagar shopping district, adding that the locals had been wary of such an accident for a long time.
Fire guts Chennai Silks store in T. Nagar.
Here is the timeline:
4 a.m. (May 31) Thick smoke emanates from the basement of seven storeyed building
4.30 a.m. Fire control room received call
4.45 a.m. First water tenders rushed from T. Nagar and Teynampet
6 a.m. Sky lifts arrived on the spot and began operation
7 a.m. Police sealed entire T. Nagar and public were barred from entering Usman Road
8 a.m. 14 persons rescued from top floor of building
10 a.m. Fire in the front portion of the building was brought under control
10.30 a.m. Fire reignited from another floor, started spreading
10.45 a.m. Ground floor of building caved in and made it impossible for fire brigade to move in
11-2 p.m. Fire fighting continued as thick smoke was billowing
2-4 p.m. Fire went out of control; fire brigade broke open glass
7 p.m. Fire was under control except in seventh floor where thick smoke was billowing
