As per the Mapusa fire station, they received a call at around 4.10 am through the Panjim control room informing that smoke was billowing out of Café Dhakuli. Mapusa fire station officer Bosco Ferrao rushed to the site with his team and a fire tender.
Donning breathing apparatus, the fire personnel entered the shop. While trying to put out the fire, a cylinder near the reception counter exploded, injuring fire-fighters Siddesh Naik, Sandeep Gawas and Dyaneshwar Sawant. They were admitted to the District Hospital, Mapusa.
Over 40 fire-fighters spent two hours and used five fire tenders – two each from Mapusa and Panjim and one from Pillerne – battling the flames. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
While Café Dhakuli suffered loss of property worth Rs 50 lakh, a neighbouring shop S F Xavier Café and a kiosk suffered a loss of Rs 20 lakh and 5 lakh, respectively.
Addressing the press, Ferrao stated that fire-fighter Naik suffered 20 percent burn injuries and was shifted to Goa Medical College, Bambolim, while Gawas and Sawant were discharged from the District Hospital after treatment.
He has written a letter to the electricity department to ascertain the cause of the fire and also to police department to investigate the incident.
Ferrao, Panjim fire station Officer Srikrishna Parrikar, Pillerne fire station Sub Officer A P Talanker and 40 fire-fighters laboured to extinguish the fire.
