Bhatkal woman who had come to M'luru for medical treatment dies in fire mishap at residential tower
Mangaluru: In an incident reported on Tuesday morning, Zareena Shaheen Kola (57), a resident of Bhatkal, lost her life in a fire that broke out on the twelfth floor of a seventeen-story building in Attavar. The unfortunate incident occurred in the wee hours of Tuesday at around 4 o'clock.
According to the reports, Zareena Shaheen Kola, had recently arrived in Mangalore from Dubai with her husband Abdullah Kola for medical treatment, and was staying in her son-in-law Shayan Damudi's flat along with her two daughters.
Reports further added that the fire originated in the hall of the flat during the night, leading to the rapid spread of smoke. Zareena Shaheen Kola, believed to be in the bathroom at the time, succumbed to suffocation.
Shayan Damudi, who was in Bhatkal during the incident, was alerted by his wife about the fire. All the other members of the family were trapped inside the flat before Shayan informed friends in the residential tower, who used an alternate key to open the flat door. They rescued Abdullah Kola and the two daughters, but Zareena Shaheen Kola had already passed away.
Fahad Shabandri, an active member of Bhatkal Muslim Jamaat in Mangaluru, and a resident of the same apartment tower, played a crucial role in the rescue and bravely navigated through smoke-filled rooms, they managed to pull out Abdullah and the two trapped women.
Following the incident, a team of Bhatkal Muslim Jamaat Mangaluru, including Arshad Mohtisham, Ashraf Sada, Saud Mohtisham, Moulana Dawood, and others, assisted the family and their relatives with paperwork and hospitalization procedures.
Abdullah is currently hospitalized at AJ Hospital, in stable condition despite suffering from heavy smoke inhalation, Ashraf Sada informed Vartha Bharati over a phone call. The two other women are also receiving medical attention at a private hospital.
The cause of the fire is unknown, and initial speculation about a mobile battery explosion was dismissed as there was no mobile in the hall. Ashraf Sada however, said that the cause of the fire could have been short circuit. The fire resulted in the burning and destruction of the aquarium, furniture, including the sofa, and other belongings.
A case has been registered at local police station, and further investigations are underway.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
