Mangalore: Baikampady Fire - Battle that Took 40 Hours, 2 Lac Litres of Water
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (VM)
Mangalore, Jan 13: The massive fire that swallowed up Primacy Industries candle factory at Baikampady late night on Thursday January 10 took a marathon effort of 40 hours to douse completely, with fire fighters battling on till 4 pm on Saturday January 12.
File Photo
"The fire brigade was successful in putting off the blaze after a non-stop 40-hour battle. More than two lac litres of water was used to extinguish the fire," said Varadarajan, senior officer of the fire brigade.
It is said that if water had been available near the place of incident, the operation would not have lasted so long. Nearby factories were also asked for water.
The fire brigade team carried out the operation by spraying water first and then foam in order to reduce oxygen level. Due to the spraying of water, the wax spread all over the place which hindered the operation for a long time.
"It was a difficult task as the fire was blazing wildly. By the time fire in one part of the building was doused, 4000 litres of water would be over. Arranging for more water from other places took even more time because of which the fire continued to spread. If water had been available nearby, the operation would not have taken so long," Varadarajan said.
The factory officials have lodged a complaint claiming a loss of Rs 65 crore. Based on their statement, Panambur police have registered a case.
Investigation is on and so far no clue has been obtained by the police regarding the cause for the fire. Police also conducted spot investigation.
The incident will be investigated thoroughly, said K G Nanjappa, deputy director (safety unit) of factories.