The Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services Department, on Thursday, issued prosecution notices to three parties, including the ‘owner/occupier’ of the British era Secunderabad Club, for major fire mishaps in recent times. The other two parties are Sri Sri Institute of Holistic Health, Kukatpally, and Thand Swal Corporation godown and shop.
While the two fire incidents occurred in January this year, the third happened in July last year. An official release on the ongoing ‘Fire Safety Week’ stated that the loss at Secunderabad Club is the highest among the three cases with ₹15.27 crore and property saved has been worth ₹14.73 crore. The loss of property in the godown has been estimated to be about ₹15 crore and property saved has been ₹30 crore. No such estimates were given for the hospital fire mishap.
The department said it had saved 30 lives in 2021, compared to 59 in 2020, while 26 and 25 people lost their lives respectively. The number of fire mishaps reduced to 7,149 in 2021, as against 7,899 in 2020. This includes serious fire mishaps coming down to 87 from 99 in these two years, while medium fire mishaps rose to 135 from 132, and small fires reduced to 6,495 from 7,127.
Rescue and emergency calls came down to 536 from 541, whereas property damaged has been ₹1,991.70 crore last year and ₹2,309.20 crore the previous year. Property saved has been ₹1501.70 crore and ₹959.85 crore, respectively. Careless smoking continues to be prime reason for the fire mishaps with 2,754 cases reported last year as against 4,187 cases reported the previous year.
Other prime reasons for fire mishaps include electric short circuits – 1,326 and 1,992; gas coal furnace 137 and 296, chimney fires 6 and 12; arson 56 and 187; spontaneous combustion 12 and 22; oven stoves 31 and 100 and mechanical heat sparks 85 and 141. The department also claimed to have increased surprise inspections from 303 in 2020 to 223 in 2021 and public awareness programmes from 4,829 to 10,131.
Mock drills, fire safety demonstrations in public places, inviting family members of fire service personnel to the fire stations, commemoration parades, training in fire safety and others are being held till April 20, the release added.
