Hyderabad: Two dead, six injured as fire rips through Gomathi Electronics in Shahalibanda
A fire at Gomathi Electronics in Shahalibanda, Hyderabad, killed two and injured six after refrigerator and air conditioner compressors exploded. Residents fear repeated incidents and demand authorities enforce fire safety protocols in high-risk electronic stores to prevent future tragedies
Hyderabad: The electronic consumer goods stores in the city are ticking bombs, with the management failing to take proper fire safety measures.
Early this week, two people died and six others suffered injuries when a fire broke out at Gomathi Electronics in Shahalibanda Old City. Due to the intensity of fire, the compressors of refrigerators and air conditioners started exploding. Due to the blast, the shutter of the store was ripped apart and the flying metal pieces hit the road users.
One person, Sajjad Ali, a resident of Khilwat who was going on the road on his scooter, died after he was hit by the metal pieces. The shop owner, Shiva Kumar Bansal, also suffered injuries and died.
“The air conditioners and refrigerators have compressors that are filled with gas. When the temperature increases due to the fire, the compressors explode and not only amplify the fire, but the flying metal objects also hit and injure or even kill any person,” said a fire official.
During the fire incident at Gomathi Electronics on Monday, the eyewitnesses said they had heard several blasts in the shop and due to its impact, the shutter of the store got ripped and its pieces fell over 20 metres away. “We are investigating the details of the fire with the assistance of the forensic experts. So far, we suspect the compressors exploded due to the fire that resulted from a short circuit,” said a police official.
The fire department officials maintain that they respond to a fire call and the men go and douse the fire. Apart, the firefighters conduct awareness programmes to educate people on fire safety protocols. “We don’t go and inspect shops to check if they are adhering to fire safety rules. It is the GHMC or HYDRAA who have to check and issue notices to buildings,” said District Fire Officer Hyderabad, T Venkanna.
Local residents point out that in the past two years, fires broke out at two different electronic consumer goods stores at Shahalibanda. “Both the stores are located within a 100-metre radius of Gomathi Electronics. In both incidents, the fire department personnel had battled hard to control the blaze and behind both the commercial establishments, there are residential houses. We are constantly staying in fear as this is the third fire incident in the area,” said Mannan Khan, a local resident.
The residents demand that the authorities classify the commercial establishments depending on the risk they pose to people and conduct joint inspections at the earliest to prevent repeat of such fatal fire accidents. “The management of high-risk stores should be made to adhere to the fire safety protocols,” demanded a local resident.
