TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: In a major fire, a century-old building near the head post office was gutted on Wednesday. Four premises comprising Ajanta Restaurant, Corina Lodge, another restaurant, a garage and an advocate’s office housed in the building belonging to Miscellet Pinto D’Sa were reduced to ashes.
Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly two hours and ensured it did not spread to other adjacent buildings and a petrol pump located barely five meters away.
Six young men, employees of a city-based restaurant, were injured after they panicked and jumped off the single storey building to save themselves from the fire. One young man was rescued by the fire force.
“The young men were sleeping in the lodge when the fire reached their room. There was no visibility and the entire floor was burnt, so they jumped. They were admitted to the hospital by 108 ambulance,” a Fire Department officer told Herald, at the site.
The intensity of the flames was so unrelenting that seven fire tenders from Panjim, Mapusa, Old Goa and Pilerne were summoned. A 32-meter high aerial platform was used for the first time, in the rescue operation and to douse the fire as the only narrow-entrance to the wooden first floor was consumed by fire.
“The floor is of wood because of which the flames spread faster. The staircase was on fire,” a fire fighter narrated.
Director Ashok Menon, Assistant Divisional Officer Rajendra Haldankar, Fire Officer Bosco Ferrao, H B Naik and other officials rushed to the site along with over a dozen fire fighters.
Menon said the cause of the fire is not ascertained and a letter has been written to the Police Department for a probe.
“The first turn out was from Panjim fire station. Our man saw that a scooter parked was in fire and it spread horizontally and vertically. We however cannot establish anything at this juncture as the investigation has to be done,” an officer said.
Even though, the flames were doused, the firefighters remained at the scene till dawn to make sure the site was safe. The debris was also cleared off.
Every precaution was being taken to ensure the wooden floor did not collapse while smoke from the building was still bellowing.
A police press statement mentioned that fire accident took place at 4 am. Damages were caused to one electronic shop belonging to Cosme Mathias Menezes, Corina Lodge, Ajanta Hotel due to the accident.
“Two Honda Activa motorcycles, furniture, electronic goods etc were burnt to ashes, causing loss to a tune of Rs 25 lakh approximately,” the press release reads.
