HYDERABAD:Property worth lakhs of rupees was reduced to ashes after major fire broke out at a workshop at the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) located at Vijaynagar Colony here on Sunday. However, no casualties were reported.
Fire officials suspect that gas cylinders that were kept in a store room might have exploded resulting in the fire.
Around 5 p.m. on Sunday, the fire service control room staff received an alert from a person who informed them that a fire broke out from the ITI workshop and was spreading to neighbouring shops. Minutes after the staff received information, four fire tenders from different places were pressed into service.
As the flames were spreading to neighbouring shops, as many as 16 fire engines were pressed into service to extinguish the blaze. About 100 fire service staff participated and fought for more than three hours in putting off the flames. Around 8.30 pm, 95 per cent of flames were doused,’’ P Venkateswar, director, fire services, said.
Stating that the exact reason is yet to be investigated by team of fire service staff, Venkateswar said the preliminary probe revealed that some gas cylinders that were kept in a store room of a canteen had exploded and spread to neighbouring shops.
Material worth lakhs of rupees was reduced to ashes and some neighbouring shops were also gutted. The fire service staff suspect that some oil tins were kept inside the workshop that made difficult for the firefighters to douse the flames.
Meanwhile, tension gripped among the locals after fire broke our from the ITI workshop. The locals and passerby who noticed thick smoke and flames emanating from the workshop ran away from the place.
‘’We don’t know what happened. Suddenly, flames emanated along with a blast from the ITI workshop and thick smoke spread the entire locality. As it was Sunday, many shops adjacent to the workshop were closed. However, some shops were gutted completely,’’ said Anand Prasad, a businessman, said.
Home minister N Narasimha Reddy, Hyderabad police commissioner M Mahender Reddy and other police officials visited the place.