John Wilbert & Vikramaditya
Port Mort, June 06: A major fire broke out in a semi-pucca house owned by Mr. Kannapan, a private worker residing in Port Mort under the Ferrargunj Tehsil, earlier this morning at approximately 11:16 AM. The fire, believed to have been caused by a short circuit, quickly engulfed the house, reducing it to ashes.
Upon receiving information about the incident, a concerned villager promptly informed the Ograbraj Police Station. The Station House Officer (SHO), in coordination with the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBN) Station, requested the deployment of the Varun crowd dispenser with water cannons, an alternative firefighting asset in close proximity to the site of the fire. Fire service personnel were immediately alerted about the situation at 11:16 AM, and within minutes, the IRBN Varun crowd dispenser, followed by the Ferrargunj Fire Tenders, arrived at the scene. By 11:30 AM, the fire was successfully brought under control, and complete extinguishment was achieved by 01:00 PM.
The primary cause of the fire was determined to be a short circuit but because of an LPG gas cylinder overheating and subsequently exploding, the house suffered substantially damaged. Thanks to the swift response of the authorities, the Varun IRBN crowd dispenser with water cannons reached the location promptly, while the Ferrargunj and Garacharama Fire Tenders ensured a steady water supply, preventing the fire from spreading further.
In a stroke of luck, the house owner arrived at the scene just in time to inform the police that two full cylinders were inside the house. Acting swiftly, the police officials quickly retreated, and at that very moment, one of the cylinders exploded. Due to the timely information and evacuation, a major catastrophe was averted. Another cylinder was safely removed from the premises before it could also succumb to the heat. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as no one was present inside the house when the fire broke out.
Eyewitnesses shared their accounts with Andaman Sheekha Daily, expressing their belief that the incident could have escalated into a more tragic event if not for the prompt response of the police and fire services. Inspector R.K Singh, the head of the fire station, HC Ramanand, the Ferrargunj Fire Station in-charge, SHO Sub Inspector Devendra Pathak, and other members of the fire service and police displayed exemplary coordination and efficiency, successfully bringing the fire under control and preventing its further spread. Further investigations into the incident are ongoing.
