Fire breaks out at parking lot, over 170 cars gutted in TN
Chennai, Feb 24: Over 170 cars were gutted Sunday when a major fire swept through a parking lot at a suburban neighbourhood, with thick columns of black smoke engulfing the entire area, inconveniencing the people and causing anxiety.
Some vehicles that had gas in fuel tanks exploded, but no one was injured, a fire service official said.
"The blaze is suspected to have been triggered after tall dried grass caught fire by a discarded smouldering cigarette butt," a suburban Fire and Rescue Services official told PTI.
Of the total 208 parked cars, 176 were gutted and 32 were "saved from the fire," he said.
The cars were parked "bumper to bumper" in close proximity and is suspected to have been one of the reasons for the blaze having spread so quickly.
The parking lot is situated bang opposite a large private sector medical college and hospital at suburban Porur.
Several road users and local residents said huge colums of smoke billowed out of the facility, causing anxiety and inconvenience.
The impact of the fire could have been much more if the parked vehicles had petrol in fuel tanks, the fire official said.
Seven fire tenders and four water tankers were deployed to fight the blaze and it took about four hours to douse the flames, he said.
Initial enquiries revealed that fire had broken out on at least three occasions in the past in the same premises, he said.
The watchman of the facility fled from the premises following the blaze and alerted the authorities.
"Since tyres and plastics went up in flames it led to thick fumes of smoke."
Asked if the cars were new or if it was only a parking lot run by some commercial firms, the official said "an enquiry is on by police....
...it seems to be a mix of cars; some cars are reportedly used ones seized for non-payment of EMI and others are said to be new, some unsold vehicles..authorities are questioning some persons and a full picture will emerge later."
The incident was similar to the one at the Aero-India show at the Yelahanka Air Force Station at Bengaluru Saturday, where about 300 cars in the parking area were gutted.
No casualties were reported in that blaze, which too was suspected to have been caused by dry grass fire aided by heavy winds.
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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.
