The congested and twisted alleys of Oasis Compound on Moideen Palli Road are sitting on a powder keg.
Around 150 shops, legal and illegal, function on the compound. The adjoining Baby Bazaar and Annexe Complex have 75 and 40 shops respectively, making the centre one of the busiest retail and wholesale hubs in the city. Unauthorised construction has also been reported in the area.
Several years ago, firefighters had a difficult time when a fire broke out at a toy shop trading in cheap Chinese goods. Traders then had to flee for their lives through the narrow pathways.
Prompt action and apparent ‘luck’ had averted a major tragedy. But the negligence in fire safety measures came to the fore. Even today, merchants burn heaps of rubbish, unwanted goods and materials.
Clothes and paper carelessly dumped inside shops make the compound a vulnerable area.
