Fire force to file case against export house

“The godown manager refused to furnish details we sought. Moreover, the owner had not taken enough fire safety measures, said B K Hampagol Deputy Director (technical). The department is in the process of completing certain formalities and the complaint would be filed shortly, he added.

The cause of the fire that damaged fabrics worth crores of rupees in the godown of export house at Goraguntepalya on Friday was not electric short circuit as was believed initially.

There was no power when the incident occurred and the man monitoring power during the night duty had confirmed it to the fire fighters. The nearest fire station is hardly two km away from the godown but the shed and roofs had come down, the fire was at its peak and all damage was done before fire tenders reached the spot. Fire officers believe there was "considerable" delay in informing them about the incident, said fire force officials.

Of the two security guards, one cooperated with the police and fire personnel in their investigation, while the other was nowhere to be seen, officials added. The management had kept only two small fire extinguishers. Considering the materials stored, they hardly served any purpose. Moreover, no one was trained in handling the fire extinguishers, officers alleged.

"Why keep them if nobody knows to operate them?" questioned a senior fire force officer. M Chandrappa, ACP (Yeshwanthpur Sub Division), however, denied that there was delay in informing the fire brigade.

"The fire brigade was informed on time and they did a good job by extinguishing the fire quickly," he told Deccan Herald. He said the owners were yet to ascertain the value of the damage. Although a case had been booked, a comprehensive report from the fire brigade was awaited , Chandrappa added.