12 dead as explosion rips through chemical godown in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad: At least 12 laborers including five women were killed and nine others were injured after a portion of a godown here collapsed following a huge explosion on Wednesday morning, officials said.
The godown, located on Pirana-Piplaj road, stored drums of chemicals, they said.
During a nine-hour-long search and rescue operation, which ended around 8:30 pm, the city fire brigade pulled out 12 bodies and rescued nine persons from the rubble.
The injured were taken to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation-run LG Hospital.
A powerful explosion in the godown around 11 am destroyed the structure and caused a fire in adjacent godowns where laborers were packing ready-made garments, said officials.
"Our operation has come to an end. We pulled out 12 dead bodies from the debris. We also rescued nine people alive. The fire was doused within 30 minutes, the operation was mainly about rescuing people trapped in the rubble," said chief fire officer M F Dastur.
"An NDRF team also joined us in the evening," he said, adding that it was the explosion that was responsible for the damage and loss of life.
"There was a fire but it was minor. The godown collapsed due to the explosion. We used concrete-breaker drills to break the concrete slabs to pull out people," he said.
At least 24 rescue and fire fighting vehicles were pressed into service after a call about `a minor fire and explosion' was received around 11 am, Dastur said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to the kin of the deceased on Twitter.
"Anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire in a godown in Ahmedabad. Condolences to the bereaved families.
Prayers with the injured. Authorities are providing all possible assistance to the affected," the PM tweeted.
President Ram Nath Kovind also offered condolences.
"Distressed to learn about the loss of lives in a fire that broke out in a godown in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families.
"I wish speedy recovery for the injured," the President tweeted.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced an ex- gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each deceased.
He also appointed senior IAS officers Vipul Mitra and Sanjeev Kumar to conduct an inquiry into the incident, said a government release.
The godown is located in an industrial area on the outskirts of the city.
"We have initiated an inquiry into the incident," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashok Munia.
Laborers working in adjoining units told reporters that the explosion was so powerful that it destroyed the walls of the godown which contained chemical drums, following which, the concrete roof collapsed on the people working inside.
Relatives of some of the deceased told reporters that their kin was not working in the godown where the explosion took place.
"My mother worked at a readymade garment unit adjacent to the godown. Due to the explosion, the entire structure, including the adjoining place where my mother worked, collapsed," one person said.
While the exact cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained, some local factory owners alleged that the explosion took place in a boiler installed at the chemical godown-cum-processing unit.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
