HYDERABAD: While people were still reeling from the March 16 Swapnalok complex fire tragedy, which claimed six lives, another massive fire broke out at a paint factory in Nacharam's Industrial Development Area (IDA), Babanagar, Mallapur, destroying lakhs of rupees worth of paint, chemicals, and other property. However, no casualties were reported.
Over 25 workers were able to escape, and no one was injured in the accident. Nacharam police inspector Nandeshwar stated. Employees at the CP paint factory who were working at the time of the mishap were able to escape through the rear exit point. The fire department stated that the mishap occurred due to a short circuit at the CP pain factory.
To contain the fire, over 14 fire brigades with over 70 firefighters from several fire stations, as well as Nacharam police and locals, were called in. The fire fighters were unable to control the fire since there were no refilling points in the surrounding areas, and they had to refill from a water filter."We received a fire complaint call at 3.42 pm, and initially informed Mallapur Station Fire Office (SFO) Mallesh,” stated a fire officer. According to Mallesh, the fire spread quickly to the adjacent Haldiram factory due to inflammable chemicals at the CP Paints Private Limited factory. The fire was triggered by chemicals stored at the paint facility and quickly spread to the Haldiram factory. The fire destroyed lakhs of rupees worth of chemicals and raw materials in Haldiram.
The fire brigades reloaded the tankers five times each and travelled 10 kilometres up and down in less than an hour. According to a police official, this was the primary factor for the delay in preventing the fire from spreading. Sources said the fire tankers that needed to be refilled had to make over 20 trips from Babanagar to the refilling facilities in Moulali and IICT. The firefighters had to struggle for five hours to gain control of the fire. Rachakonda police commissioner D.S. Chauhan, Malkajgiri deputy commissioner of police D. Janaki and other police officials visited the scene.
