Hyderabad: Exhibition Society officials continued to insist on Thursday that one of the two fire engines stationed at the Exhibition Grounds at Nampally did not have water and could not take part in fire-fighting operations during Wednesday night’s blaze.
The fire brigade on Thursday stated that both the fire engines were equipped and functional.
Director-General, Fire Services, M. Gopalakrishna said, “There was water but the wind played a major role in spreading the fire.” He said the fire brigade personnel had doused the fire without any casualty.
Mr Gopalakrishna said the department was coming up with a comprehensive plan to avoid a repeat by installing water hydrants at Exhibition Grounds.
An Exhibition Society official said that they pay the fire brigade Rs 10 lakh every year to rent the tanker which is stationed near the office and other mobile tankers.
Apart from that, fire personnel are also present at the site.
The Exhibition Society has registered a protest with the government on the functioning of the fire brigade but an official said their main concern was on clearing the area and getting the exhibition re-started.
The Society has taken a decision to return Rs 35,000, the rental fee, to the 130 persons whose stalls were burnt and to the 100 others whose goods was damaged.
