Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Oct 18: A massive fire broke out at Aerial Bay and nine (09) numbers of shops were gutted in the fire in the afternoon today.
As per report, the fire caught in a shop owned by one Srinivasan at about 02.00pm while he went home for lunch after closing the shop. After noticing smoke billowing out from Srinivasan’s grocery shop, residents immediately informed the Fire Brigade. However, after repeated calls from the residents, the fire tender of Andaman and Nicobar Fire Services appeared on the scene about an hour later and that too with insufficient quantity of water in it, the residents of the area alleged.
After a trifle effort, the fire tender returned to fill water and in the meantime, the fire took its furious form, the eye-witnesses alleged. Some residents then informed the Naval Base at Shibpur about this fire accident and in quick response, two fire tenders were pressed into service by the Indian Navy and brought the inferno under control.
Though the reason of the fire accident is to be as certained, the eyewitnesses and the residents of the area said that the fire caught after a short-circuit from an inverter kept in Srinivasan’s grocery shop.
The residents and the fire victims became enraged by the way the Fire Brigade dealt with the accident. Shops could be protected from being gutted, if the fire tender had reached the spot in time and with sufficient quantity of water, the residents claimed.
After dousing the fire, the residents shouted slogans in praise of the jawans of the Navy while the incensed residents led a scathing verbal attack on the Fire Brigade for its lapses and failures, as was seen. They also blocked the road and didn’t allow the Fire Brigade to move from the place. The vehicular movement was also affected on this route due to this fire accident.
As per primary report, there has been a financial loss sustained by the shopkeepers is estimated to the tune of Rs. 2-3 crore, sources said. And most importantly, since maximum numbers of shops were shop-cum-residences, school students lost their school certificates while their parents lost all official and non-official documents, as claimed by the victims.
The Assistant Commissioner reached the place of the fire accident and took stock of the situation. He then intervened into the matter and tried to soothe the irate residents and the fire victims.
He then assured the victims of the fire accident of extending possible compensation against the loss due to this conflagration and at the same time he also said that he would take necessary actions against the errant officials/staff of the Fire Brigade, Diglipur for their lapes and incompetence if any.
The food and shelter for the fire victims has been arranged by the Pradhan, Gram Panchayat Kerealpuram in its Panchayat Hall tonight, the report further said.
