Hyderabad: The Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services Department in its annual report for the year 2022 stated that the state saw 3969 fire accidents due to ‘careless smoking’.
Fires of electrical origin, due to gas coal furnaces, chimneys, arson, spontaneous combustion, due to oven stoves/ open fires and fires due to mechanical heat/sparks top the list consecutively.
The Department stated that in 2022, it has responded to 104 serious, 135 medium, 7129 small and 574 rescue and emergency calls, making it a total of 7942 calls in the year 2022, which is 718 calls more than in 2021.
The department also said that 45 lives have been lost in these accidents and property damage worth Rs 212.36 cr has occurred. On the other hand, 213 lives were saved and Rs 723.14 cr worth of property was saved from destruction, the department said.
Major fire accidents in 2022 in Telangana, according to the Fire department
- A major fire accident occurred on January 16 at the Secunderabad Club, Plot No.220, Picket, Secunderabad around 02.40 am in the morning. The property lost in the Fire was Rs.15,27,00,000 and the property saved was Rs. 14,73,00,000. The Department launched prosecution on the said owner/occupier as per Section-31 of the Fire Service Act.
- Another major fire accident occurred on January 31 at Sri Sri Institute of Holistic Health in Hydemnagar Village, Kukatpally Mandal, Medchal District around 10.30 pm. The Department has initiated prosecution against the said owner/occupier as per the provisions of the Fire Service Act, 1999.
- A massive fire incident occurred on March 23 at a Scrap Godown in Bhoiguda, Secunderabad around 03:15 pm. It is opined that ‘Electrical origin’ is the supposed cause of a fire accident. No Fire NOC was issued by the Telangana Fire Service Department to the scrap Godown as it is not covered under the provision of section 13 of the Fire Act. 11 members lost their lives in the incident and 1 person escaped from the fire.
- One more fire accident occurred on June 3 at around 10.54 am. near Fire Station, Sanathnagar, government medical store depot under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Sanathnagar, Hyderabad. The property lost in the fire was Rs. 14,34,38,127 and the saved was Rs.5,65,61,873. The Department has issued notice to the Owner/Occupier of the said premises to provide the Fire Fighting systems as per Table 23 of Part-IV of NBC,2016.
- Another major fire accident occurred at Ruby Hotel, Gemopai (Electrical Scooters), Opp. Saptagiri Hotel Secunderabad on September 12 around 12.32 am and resulted in the death of 8 persons and 10 individuals were injured in the incident. The above said building consisted of a cellar, ground and 4 upper floors with a height of 17.50 meters with Residential Occupancy (Hotel). Electrical Scooters were stored in the cellar unauthorizedly by the owners and action was initiated against the owner of the building by the Police.
Also, in 2022, the fire safety department conducted a total of 103 fire safety awareness programmes and mock drills to sensitize citizens about fire prevention and safety.
The Department strongly appealed to all the citizens to adopt the best possible fire precautions and fire safety measures and thereby save ‘precious human lives and national wealth’. It also asked people to call fire Services by dialling ‘101’ in case of fire accidents.
