The fire at a storage facility at Sade Satara Nali in Hadapsar area of Pune. (Express Photo) The body of a disabled worker was recovered from the debris after a fire which broke out at a storage unit in Hadapsar was doused early on Sunday. Officials with the fire brigade had earlier said that no casualties were reported in the wake of the incident.
Inspector Arvind Gokule of Hadapsar police station said, “The deceased is a worker at the facility and was physically disabled. He had artificial legs. His body was recovered in the search operation carried out later.”
The fire broke out at a storage facility for various event decoration items located at Sade Satra Nali in Hadapsar area of Pune in the early hours of Sunday. The Pune Fire Brigade received a call around 3.10 am about the blaze. After initial deployment of two fire tenders from Hadapsar station, more tenders were pressed into action. The blaze was brought under control after three hours.
Pune’s Chief Fire officer Prashant Ranpise said, “One death has been reported in the fire. Many times, it so happens that after we complete firefighting and cooling operations, undetected casualties come to light in the subsequent search. Victims often take shelter at a particular place or get injured and cannot call for help.”
Fire Station Officer Vijay Bhilare said most items in the unit were damaged in the fire. “It’s a storage facility for various stage and event decoration items including curtains, carpets, stage structures and various wooden and plastic items. The facility has an area of around 8,000 sq ft. Much of the items have been damaged in the fire. The fire was brought under control around 6.30 am and was followed by a cooling operation to avoid any secondary fire,” he said. Officials pointed out that while the exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, a short circuit in the electrical system could be a possible cause.
Pune has reported multiple instances of fire at storage facilities in the recent past. A major blaze was reported on November 9 at a furniture godown in the Pisoli area. The storage facility, mostly constructed of tin sheets fitted on partially built walls, housed wooden and plywood furniture and raw material required for furniture. Another fire was reported in a furniture storage facility in Gangadham area on the night of October 24. On October 7, one person was rescued by Pune fire brigade personnel after he was trapped in a major fire that broke out at a groceries storage facility in Marketyard area.
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