NMC orders structural audit of singed building

Nagpur: The disaster management cell of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has approached Mangalwari zone to conduct structural audit of the under-construction multi-storey hospital on Kingsway where a massive fire broke out on Wednesday.
Chief fire officer Rajendra Uchake told TOI, “Structure of the building has been damaged due to extreme heat following the fire. As it being a multi-storey building slated to house a hospital and an auditorium, concrete strength needs to be assessed by a structural engineer. Therefore, the zone’s assistant municipal commissioner Harish Raut has been asked to start the structural audit process.”

Sources said neither the NMC’s head office nor the zone has any structural engineer and hence, Raut may approach an expert through empanelled engineers. “Until the audit is done, the NMC will not allow any construction activity in the building,” a senior official in NMC’s town planning department said.

On Thursday, when TOI visited the site, a senior representative of the construction company said entry to the building has been restricted following fire department’s instructions. To a query, the representative said the fire might have been triggered during wielding work going on to fix chairs in the auditorium. Due to spatter from the wielding work, foam cushions might have caught fire, thus the mishap, he pointed out.

On the other hand, NMC’s fire department claimed that safety norms were violated at the construction site. Sources pointed out that water-based firefighting and portable extinguishers should have been there as several labourers were engaged for the construction. This violation comes under occupational hazard, sources pointed out. “Had these systems were in place, the fire could have been controlled early,” sources said.

TOI had reported on Thursday that the complex had no sanction for its revised building plan from the town planning department or NOC from fire and emergency services department.

As fire and emergency services department has no authority to investigate, a team from Sadar police station has started investigation to find out the exact cause of fire.

Uchake clarified that his department won’t investigate to find out exact cause of the fire and clarified that city police department, which has forensic experts, will probe the case. Senior police inspector Sunil Bonde said Sadar police have already started investigation.

Meanwhile, two patients who were brought to Care Hospital in serious condition continue to be critical, said a hospital source.