CHENNAI: Why was the blaze in T Nagar’s Chennai Silks not quickly contained? While the shopping complex sought to blame the TN Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS) for reacting late, fire officials suspect they were alerted two long hours after the fire broke out in the basement of the building.
“The ground floor caved in around 7.30 am. Normally, it takes about six hours for a concrete floor to cave in during a fire. So, the workers perhaps called us only after they couldn’t control the blaze themselves,” M Shahul Hameed, Joint Director of TNFRS told Express. While the first rescue call was made around 4 am, he suggested the fire could have started at least two hours before the alert.
Even after the firemen reached the spot, the private guards employed by Chennai Silks allegedly refused to let them access the basement through the ground floor, which is the only access, as it was stacked with gold and diamond jewellery.
Seven firemen with apparatus to support breathing for 30 minutes, tried to enter the basement from where the fire spread to other floors. “It took several vital minutes to convince them (private security) before they could let us in,” said one among the seven.
The revelations came on a day when the process to pull down the burnt structure began.Full coverage: P4