Goods worth lakhs gutted at Karnataka's Bidar transformer repair unit

Bidar: More than 50 transformers, power cable and diesel, running into a few lakhs, were completely gutted in an accidental fire that erupted at a Gescom TC repair unit here on Sunday. Six staff present at the unit escaped unhurt in the incident.

The fire was spotted in the unit, located in the Gescom office complex at Jyoti Nagar, on Sunday morning. The flames spread rapidly and engulfed a few adjacent office buildings. A jeep parked nearby was completely gutted.

A thick blanket of smoke engulfed the area creating panic among the residents.

Fire engines of the Fire and Emergency Services department and the IAF were immediately pressed into service. The firemen battled for well over an hour to douse the flames.

The Gescom staff suspect that a short circuit may have  triggered the fire.

Gescom Executive Engineer (Bidar Division) Ramesh K Patil told DH, “Transformers, power cable and diesel were completely destroyed in the fire. The exact cause of the fire and the losses are yet to be ascertained.”