Narrow escape for 5 as fire breaks out in knitwear unit
TNN | Feb 7, 2019, 07:07 ISTLudhiana: A fire broke out at a knitwear unit on Rahon Road early on Wednesday.
Five employees, who were sleeping on the second floor of the two-storey building, AP Knitwear, had a narrow escape as flames blocked their exit route.
Jatin Kumar, who lives near the unit, said, “A neighbour called me up around 3am, saying the unit was ablaze. When I along with the area residents reached there, about five workers who were on the second floor were crying for help.”
The labourers could not take the stairs and escape the building as flames had engulfed the ground and the first floors. “We brought a ladder and helped them come out. While the unit owner is in Lucknow, his brother was among the five caught in the burning building. We called up the fire brigade many a time, but to no avail. After half-an-hour, the call got connected. But, the fire brigade reached late.”
Station fire officer SN Sharma said, “After we received the call around 5.10am, we rushed two tenders to the spot. The unit not only lacked fire safety arrangements, but also had an illegal basement. According to rules, sprinkler system should be installed in buildings that have basement. But there, it wasn’t. We are yet to ascertain the exact cause of fire.”
About the emergency number problem, he said, “Due to a technical glitch, 101 does not get connected. We have already complained to BSNL.”
The fire department took almost four hours to control the situation.
The incident sparked panic in the area, with crowds of people gathering outside the unit.
Five employees, who were sleeping on the second floor of the two-storey building, AP Knitwear, had a narrow escape as flames blocked their exit route.
Jatin Kumar, who lives near the unit, said, “A neighbour called me up around 3am, saying the unit was ablaze. When I along with the area residents reached there, about five workers who were on the second floor were crying for help.”
The labourers could not take the stairs and escape the building as flames had engulfed the ground and the first floors. “We brought a ladder and helped them come out. While the unit owner is in Lucknow, his brother was among the five caught in the burning building. We called up the fire brigade many a time, but to no avail. After half-an-hour, the call got connected. But, the fire brigade reached late.”
Station fire officer SN Sharma said, “After we received the call around 5.10am, we rushed two tenders to the spot. The unit not only lacked fire safety arrangements, but also had an illegal basement. According to rules, sprinkler system should be installed in buildings that have basement. But there, it wasn’t. We are yet to ascertain the exact cause of fire.”
About the emergency number problem, he said, “Due to a technical glitch, 101 does not get connected. We have already complained to BSNL.”
The fire department took almost four hours to control the situation.
The incident sparked panic in the area, with crowds of people gathering outside the unit.
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