No fire safety measures

No fire safety measures
Bangalore, DHNS:
It is official now. There was no fire safety measures at the Jayanagar Shopping complex, which witnessed a major fire accident on Friday.

Official sources in the Fire Force department told Deccan Herald that the building did not have any fire safety measures despite the instruction from the department two years ago. “We had told them about it two years ago and repeated it recently. But the delay in taking steps proved costly,” said an official, on condition of anonymity.

However, he said, though the Fire and Emergency department has made fire safety mandatory, most of the old government buildings are yet to implement it.

He said the problem is not just limited to the Jayanagar Shopping Complex, because nearly 40 percent of the high-rised buildings do not have the facilities.

The team of fire force officials headed by ADGP Jija Hari Singh visited the place to study the situation. However, they are still not sure whether it was the short circuit which triggered the tragedy or the half-burnt agarbathi, left by the shop owners after performing Friday pooja.

Meanwhile, the BBMP has cleared 26 loads of debris from the complex since Saturday morning. Nearly 80 BBMP workers have been working in shifts since Saturday morning to clear the heap of debris. At least another ten loads of debris are yet to be cleared.

According to the BBMP sources, this is the second biggest fire mishap after the 1977 City market godown tragedy which claimed seven lives.