Nagpur: Fire on a 50-meter patch of a nullah in Santra Market area near east Nagpur railway station gate on Tuesday morning is shrouded in mystery. Alert residents averted a major tragedy by calling up firefighters and stopped the blaze from spreading to nearby houses.
However, before the fire tenders could reach the spot, it already engulfed the clothes kept for drying in adjoining railway colony.
Around 9am, Avinash Pathak, a resident of the Santra Market area, spotted fire in a flowing nullah. Its flames had reached the height of 18-20 meters. He soon raised an alarm and informed the ward corporator Dayashankar Tiwari. Four fire tenders of NMC reached the spot and with the help of foam-based firefighting system, it took around half an hour to douse the flames, which had spread over to the stormwater network towards railway station.
Preliminary investigation by the fire department hinted that the fire might have caused due to petroleum products flowing in the nullah.
The fire brigade summoned officials from BPCL to accompany them to find out the reason behind the fire. The joint team inspected the nullah network which was connected with a stormwater network of railways.
"We suspect it occurred due to leaking of petroleum products from the adjoining railway track at Nagpur station. We found petroleum flowing in stormwater network near platform number 6. We also inspected the premises of 118 Battalion of Indian Army and RBI at Samvidhan Square as the stormwater connects both the major institutions," said chief fire officer Rajendra Uchake.
However, Tiwari claimed that the fire occurred due to leaking of petroleum substance from the railway station.
The senior corporator said NMC will now approach district collector Sachin Kurve, who is also chairman of the district disaster management cell, to issue a notice to railways to avert the incident in future. As a precautionary measure, the fire department has stationed a fire tender at Santra Market, said Uchake.
Tiwari also claimed a major tragedy was averted as a Gujarati School is situated near the spot. The educational institution was closed when the incident took place.
Nagpur Central Railway has denied its role in the fire. Its spokesperson Anil Walde said there is no shunting or loading and unloading of any inflammable material by the railways near the spot. "Yet, senior officials will look into the matter," he said.
However, before the fire tenders could reach the spot, it already engulfed the clothes kept for drying in adjoining railway colony.
Around 9am, Avinash Pathak, a resident of the Santra Market area, spotted fire in a flowing nullah. Its flames had reached the height of 18-20 meters. He soon raised an alarm and informed the ward corporator Dayashankar Tiwari. Four fire tenders of NMC reached the spot and with the help of foam-based firefighting system, it took around half an hour to douse the flames, which had spread over to the stormwater network towards railway station.
Preliminary investigation by the fire department hinted that the fire might have caused due to petroleum products flowing in the nullah.
The fire brigade summoned officials from BPCL to accompany them to find out the reason behind the fire. The joint team inspected the nullah network which was connected with a stormwater network of railways.
"We suspect it occurred due to leaking of petroleum products from the adjoining railway track at Nagpur station. We found petroleum flowing in stormwater network near platform number 6. We also inspected the premises of 118 Battalion of Indian Army and RBI at Samvidhan Square as the stormwater connects both the major institutions," said chief fire officer Rajendra Uchake.
However, Tiwari claimed that the fire occurred due to leaking of petroleum substance from the railway station.
The senior corporator said NMC will now approach district collector Sachin Kurve, who is also chairman of the district disaster management cell, to issue a notice to railways to avert the incident in future. As a precautionary measure, the fire department has stationed a fire tender at Santra Market, said Uchake.
Tiwari also claimed a major tragedy was averted as a Gujarati School is situated near the spot. The educational institution was closed when the incident took place.
Nagpur Central Railway has denied its role in the fire. Its spokesperson Anil Walde said there is no shunting or loading and unloading of any inflammable material by the railways near the spot. "Yet, senior officials will look into the matter," he said.
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