MARGAO, DEC 20
The Margao fire brigade arrived late by nearly an hour as a residential flat was gutted in a major fire at Per-Seraulim on the outskirts of Margao on Monday morning.
Officials of the fire services admitted that the fire tender was stuck in a major traffic jam at the Pajifond-Hospicio area of the city this morning. “We were helpless as the fire tender could not move as it reached Pajifond. The fire tender was stuck in the traffic jam for a long time and finally reached late at the fire spot,” admitted fire officer Gill D’Souza.
However, by the time the fire tender reached the spot, the damage was already done, with the inferno gutting property worth more than Rs 1.20 lakh.
Eyewitnesses stated that the occupants of the flat – all employed in a starred resort at Varca – tried to make it to the second-floor apartment with the help of ladders, but in vain as thick black smoked billowed from the burning flat.
The response of the fire services evoked anger and ire from the local residents, who demanded to know the reason for the nearly an hour delay.
Saturnino Rodrigues of Niz Goenkar told Herald that instead of concentrating on film festivals and inauguration of bridges, the government should lay stress on basic infrastructure such as fire tenders. “Per Seraulim is hardly 3-4 kms away from Margao. Certainly, the fire tender should not have taken nearly an hour to reach the fire spot”, he added.
What agitated the locals was the fact that the police personnel who made their presence felt at the fire spot sought to know the location of the area – apparently seeking to know whether area falls in their jurisdiction or not.
That’s not all. When the fire brigade finally arrived at the spot and were about to commence the fire fighting operations, the hose fitting to the tender went haywire and eyewitnesses said that around two fire men were holding on to the hose pipe to ensure the pipe did not come out on account of the pressure. “The police and the fire services have started functioning the same manner like the government,” Rodrigues added.
Meanwhile, the fire office Gill D’Souza said that a computer system, Air conditioner and other household items were damaged in the fire suspected to be caused by over heating of items inside.
