Guwahati inferno remains uncontrolled for over 38 hrs; multiple agencies called in
Guwahati (PTI): Water tenders from the Indian Air Force, Indian Army and Guwahati Refinery joined efforts to contain a massive fire that has been raging for over 38 hours at a commercial complex in Guwahati housing a shopping mall and SBI's premium banking and commercial branches, officials said on Thursday.
More than 25 fire tenders have been pressed into service since the incident, with additional units arriving from Morigaon, Kamrup and Nalbari districts.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was also called in with high-tech smoke-reduction equipment to assist in the operation.
The fire broke out at Swagata Square Complex in ABC Point around 12.30 am on Wednesday.
"There is fire on the sixth floor. We are trying to douse it," a senior official of the Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES) told PTI.
Smoke is also billowing from the second floor, where the fire originated at the godown of the shopping mall, he added.
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"There is fire at the backside of the building. However, due to non-adherence to safety norms while construction, fire tenders are unable to reach the rear," another official said.
He said the authorities concerned did not enforce required safety norms while permitting a commercial structure of this size.
Visiting the site, Kamrup Metropolitan District Commissioner Sumit Sattawan said preliminary enquiries found that the building had all safety clearances.
"The building owner said the audit was done two months ago. So, prima facie, it seems the building does not have any issue," he told reporters.
The authorities will wait for a final report from the F&ES Department after dousing the blaze, Sattawan said.
"If there is any lapse, we will definitely take action against those responsible. We will come to know about the details of the origin of the fire from the report," he added.
So far, only one firefighter has sustained a minor injury and was treated at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.
"Our boys immediately responded to the fire call post-midnight on Wednesday and reached the spot within 15 minutes. We could stop the fire from spreading," the F&ES official said.
"The fire originated at the godown of the mall on the second floor, where a lot of inflammable materials and clothes were stored," he added.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), in a statement, said fire personnel are attempting to control the spread of fire and prevent it from reaching the lower floors.
"Due to zero visibility and heavy smoke, the fire could not be controlled effectively in the initial stage. The building premises and surrounding areas have been secured. Evacuation protocols were initiated for safety," it added.
ASDMA said that preliminary observation suggests significant damage to the affected floors, but a detailed assessment will be done once the fire is fully controlled.
The cause of the fire is still unknown at this stage, it added.
An ASDMA official told PTI that fire has been controlled, but it is not yet fully doused due to many inflammable materials in the building.
"There are no flames now but smoke is billowing. We are working on dousing the blaze completely," he said.
"We have been told that the fire has just been controlled, but fire department officials are still assessing the building. They are likely to observe it for few more hours. We will be able to check the lockers and other items in detail only after getting an entry into the different floors," a senior SBI official told reporters outside the building.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
