JOIN USMajor fire in paint factory godown near NICE road
A massive fire broke out at a paint and oil godown in Madanayakanahalli along the Kudregere Road on Wednesday.
10 tonnes of oil in barrels were stored at the godown which shares the compound with the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC).
There were no casualties, the fire personnel said. Around 21 fire tenders rushed to the godown - the first one at the scene around noon - after distress calls to the Nelamangala fire station. Several fire tenders were dispatched from Bengaluru as well.
The 2-acre compound had more than 500 oil-filled barrels. A large number of barrels were stacked in the open in about 1.75 acres. The rest were inside a closed cabin stacked in three rows.
Aditya, the managing director of a nearby mineral water manufacturing unit said: “This was a disaster waiting to happen as we had complained thrice over the phone to the godown’s owner, that the barrels had rusted and the oil was leaking. We told him that it’s high time the barrels were shifted elsewhere.”
According to a source, the owner, a North Kerala-based businessman, had dumped the oil barrels for over a year in the godown. In time, the metal exposed to sun and rain rusted and subsequently developed leaks. The neighbours had complained to the godown watchman and the owner himself, but he did not pay heed, the source added.
“The shipment of barrels contained turmeric, eucalyptus and ginger oil among other oils for export. However, the state pollution watchdog had issues with the shipment and did not clear it for export. Thereafter, the barrels were dumped at the godown,” an eyewitness said.
We have seen the godown’s watchman burn garbage in the premises which could have triggered the fire, the eye-witness added. The smoke billowed up to 60 feet and the entire place was reeking of various oils. There were many houses near the godown from where the police and fire personnel evacuated residents temporarily.
The fire personnel, meanwhile, were not sure whether it was the turmeric oil or any other inflammable oils that fuelled the blaze.
“We have called for additional fire tenders from the city. Being an oil fire, it might take a day or two to completely douse it. If it was turmeric oil, it would have been extinguished easily, but this appears to be something else,” a fireman said.
The Madanayakanahalli police have registered a case against the owner of the godown.