Navi Mumbai: On the fourth day of fire at the 50-foot-deep basement of Stock Holding Corporation of India (SHCI), the fire brigade dug out holes on the ground to let hose pipes go in. Initially, a hydraulic concrete driller was used, but later, a JCB was called in.
“The holes also acted as ventilation points. Looking at the smoke, it may take three more days for the fire to come under control,” MIDC fire officer R.B. Patil said.
Four holes with a circumference of around three and two feet were drilled by cutting slabs of the basement. Firefighters on Thursday managed to enter the basement to assess the damage. “Of the four bays, only the fourth one had everything damaged. The other bays seem to have been partially affected. The documents kept there are in metallic boxes due to which the chances of getting damaged are less,” Mr. Patil said.
Meanwhile, the breathing apparatus could not be used due to the excess heat inside the bay four. Huge exhaust fans near the broken glass of the ground and the first floor were used for ventilation.
Residents of Adavali-Bhutqvali continued to feel uneasy. “My seven-year-old daughter has been complaining of irritation in eyes. On Wednesday night, she developed a swelling in stomach following which we took her to a doctor, and now she is better. We have been keeping the doors and windows shut,” Deepak Gholat, a resident, said.
Meanwhile, the NMMC school near the SHCI has been running half-day for the last two days. “Students have been complaining of breathing difficulty and irritation in eyes. On Wednesday night, a woman from the village suffered an asthma attack and was taken to Vashi NMMC Hospital. Nothing can be done but to wait till the fire is doused,” Mahape corporator Ramesh Dole said.
