A Perspective on Vizag
Sequel to short circuit in Bata showroom on ground floor
Dwarakanagar, February 12, 2010
A major fire broke out in a three store commercial complex at Dwarakanagar on the RTC complex-Gurudwara main road on Friday evening. The fire was said to have started at around 6.30pm reportedly due to an electrical short circuit in the Bata showroom on the ground floor. The showroom was engulfed in flames and the fire spread to the National Insurance Company office and the Dwaraka Lodge on the floors above. Thick smoke billowed out of the ground floor and spread to the top floors.
Fire fighting personnel have a tough time to bring the fire under control as the fire continued to rage even after one hour . Fire fighting personnel tried to bring water from lose hosepipes. The showroom staff were said to have rushed out of the shop on seeing the flames. There were 30 persons in the lodge according to the register and all of there were said to have gone out of the building. On either side of the building, there are Muli-store commercial complexes and there is a residential apartment just behind the affected building. The residents of the apartment panicked that the fire could spread to their apartment and some of the residents of the apartment directed water from bathroom taps onto the aforesaid building and saved their building from catching fire.
Traffic on one side of the Gurudwara main road going towards RTC complex diverted via Visakha Public Library road but motorists continued to go up to the spot to see the building on fire with their own eyes. Hundreds of people thronged outside the building and the IV Town Sub Inspector A Satya Rao and his personnel had a tough time to control the surging crowds. However, the fire was brought under control at around 8.30pm. Assistant District Fire Officer Surendranath said that the fire was limited to the Bata show room on the ground floor and did not spread to the top floors as was feared. There are no casualties reported.