Short circuits cause 50 to 60 per cent fire accidents in Visakhapatnam
Fire personnel claim residents failed to give priority to quality installations.
Visakhapatnam: Nearly 50 to 60 per cent of fire accidents in Vizag city and other parts in the district are caused by electrical short circuits and interestingly around 20 to 25 per cent of electrical fires happen with air-conditioners.
The fire service personnel said that the residents and managements have failed to give top priority to quality electrical installations and also failed to provide proper maintenance of circuits leading to fire accidents.
Over 70 per cent of commercial establishments and over 50 per cent industrial units in Vizag city are yet to be fully equipped with fire fighting equipment whereas the fire service personnel have remained silent over the violations.
The recent fire mishaps, one at a shopping complex at busiest Jagadamba Junction and another in Victoria General Hospital in Vizag city has triggered panic among the Vizagites. Fortunately, nobody was injured in the accidents.
The preliminary investigation by the fire service personnel has revealed that electrical short circuit in the AC units of the hospital and shopping complex were the reasons behind the fire mishaps. Sources in fire department said that over 1,600 fire mishaps were reported in Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) limits in the past three years from 2014.
Of them, nearly 900 fire accidents were reported in industries, hotels, shopping malls, ATMs and a few others due to short circuit and other electrical problems.
Most of the builders have been compromising on low quality electrical equipment for buildings and there is no maintenance in terms of examining the electrical circuits, resulting in fire accidents.
The builders buy quality material for other purposes and compromise on fire-fighting equipment, hence the property damage was more, said district fire officer J. Mohan Rao.
Since many shopping complexes in the city have been consuming more power for ACs and other purposes the voltage fluctuations in a few seconds will lead to fire mishap in the shopping complexes, he added.