HYDERABAD: Thirty people were rescued on Wednesday from the terrace of a six-storeyed building by the fire department personnel in Shamshabad after a fire occurred at an ESI dispensary located on the ground floor of a building.
A lodge Anupama Residency was run on the top floors of the building. As fire broke out in the ESI dispensary billowing thick clouds of smoke, inmates of the lodge rushed to the terrace.
No casualties were reported in the mishap. Officials suspect the fire was caused due to a faulty electric switchboard in one of the rooms in the ESI dispensary causing short circuit and subsequent fire. The dispensary has been completely charred.
Assistant district fire officer (ADFO) of Rangareddy GV Prasad said that after visiting the accident site, there were no fire extinguishers in the ESI dispensary as well as in the lodge. Also, the building does not have No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the fire department.
As per the Telangana Fire Service Act any building measuring more than 18 meters in height should obtain NOC. The building where the fire occurred is 24 meters high.
The ADFO said the fire department would launch prosecution against owner of the building who has been identified as one, Santosh.
Prasad said fire engines from Rajendranagar, Chandulal Baradari, Maheshwaram and Shamshabad airport were rushed to the spot on receiving the information about the fire. While some firefighters controlled the fire in ESI dispensary, others got onto the first floor of building using a ladder.
The firefighters, who got onto the first floor escorted all those stranded on the terrace of the building to safety through the stairs. Bronto sky lift were also rushed to the spot but as the fire was just on the ground floor they were not required to be used.
Building has no NOC certificate
Though the fire officials say they would act against the building owner for not having NOC and not installing the required fire safety equipment, the department, which said it will take stern action against Hotel Katriya for not adhering to fire safety norms after a fire broke in the hotel, is yet to act