PANAJI
The Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services faced an overwhelming surge in fire incidents on Saturday, responding to as many as 25 fire-related calls in a single day, highlighting the increased fire risks amid the ongoing heat period.
Among these, a massive blaze on the third-floor terrace of a building at Miramar stood out, which required extensive reinforcement and over two hours to be brought under control.
Three tenders and 22-25 firefighters were rushed to the site. The personnel, quoting the commercial space’s owner, stated that the incident erupted due to welding work where chemicals were also stored.
The intense flames and heavy smoke were visible from quite a distance, alarming nearby residents and passersby.
While there were no human casualties, the financial losses are reportedly huge, although the exact estimate is awaited.
Apart from this major incident, the fire department responded to several other emergencies including dry grass, forest, cashew plantations and garbage fires on Saturday. There were also two instances of vehicles catching fire, a case involving an electrical transformer and one incident of an LPG cylinder-related blaze.
In the current month alone, the Fire Department has attended to over 478 calls of which more than 336 are fire-related. Fire officials have urged citizens and businesses to exercise caution, especially in handling flammable materials.
Out of the total incidents, nine human lives were lost, while personnel rescued 11 others along with 40 animals. Property worth Rs 15.46 million approx was saved while losses amounted to Rs 58.52 million approx.
