FIRE CREATED HAVOC

FIRE CREATED HAVOC

12-JUNE-ENG 9

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

BHABHUA---------------------------A massive fire incident came to light in Kudra police station area of Kaimur district of Bihar on Friday morning. A sudden fire broke out in a spare parts shop located at Kudra Railway Station Kesmeep, creating chaos in the area. According to eyewitnesses, smoke was seen coming out of the shop at around seven in the morning, after which within a few minutes the fire took a huge form.

Local people tried to extinguish the fire, but the fire was spreading so fast that it became difficult to control it.

Within no time the entire shop was engulfed in flames and panic spread among the nearby shopkeepers.

According to preliminary information, the cause of the fire is being said to be short circuit. The fire spread rapidly due to the electrical appliances and flammable items inside the shop. However, the actual cause of the fire can be confirmed only after investigation.

Local people say that preparations were going on to open the shop in the morning, when suddenly a spark arose and within a short time the fire engulfed the entire establishment.

A large quantity of vehicle related accessories and other materials were kept in the spare parts shop. Due to the fire, most of the goods in the shop were destroyed. The official figure of loss has not been revealed yet, but according to preliminary estimates, property worth lakhs of rupees has been damaged.

The shop operator says that the business built after years of hard work turned into ashes within a few minutes. He has demanded financial assistance from the administration and assessment of the loss.

After the incident, the biggest discussion is regarding the reaction of the fire department. Local people and the shop operator allege that the fire was immediately reported, but the fire brigade reached the spot after about an hour.

People say that if the fire brigade had reached on time, the damage could have been reduced to a great extent. Many people alleged that the fire fighting vehicles that reached the spot did not have adequate resources and operators.

Due to this, the local people themselves had to try to extinguish the fire. Some people tried to control the fire with the help of water tankers and other means.

After the incident, a large number of people gathered at the spot. People raised questions on the availability of fire fighting system and disaster management preparedness in the area.

Local citizens say that there should be adequate provision of fire fighting resources in sensitive areas like markets and railway stations. He believes that if there is a prompt system in place to deal with such incidents, the loss can be reduced.

Administration gave assurance: After getting information about the incident, administrative officials also reached the spot. Mohania SDM Ratna Priyadarshi took stock of the situation and talked to the affected people.

He said that the fire incident is serious and the administration will review the entire matter. Also, efforts will be made to further strengthen the fire fighting system to deal with such situations in a better way in future.

The SDM assured that all aspects related to the incident will be investigated and if any shortcomings are found, necessary steps will be taken to rectify them.

Questions raised again on disaster management. This incident of Kudra has once again become a subject of debate regarding preparedness for disaster management in small cities and towns.

Questions have often been raised after fire incidents regarding the availability of fire vehicles, lack of resources and response time.

Experts believe that rapidly growing market segments require modern fire fighting resources and quick response systems. Besides, there is a need to provide fire safety training to shopkeepers and common people.

At present the situation is under control. After the incident, the fire was brought under control to a great extent due to the joint efforts of the fire department and the local people. However, the shop has been completely destroyed.

The administration says that the damage is being assessed and the investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing. At present the situation in the area is normal, but this fire has raised serious questions on the preparedness of fire fighting system and disaster management.