Huge quantities of valuable fertiliser material was reduced to ashes in a major fire at a godown in Autonagar near Vanasthalipuram here on Friday. There were, however, no casualties. Nearby residents had a tough time as the foul smell of the chemical spread rapidly and thick smoke engulfed the area.
Fire service officials advised the locals to vacate the place temporarily. According to fire department officials, the fire control room received a call from locals around 10.30 am that a fire had broken out from the Sabera fertilizer godown and flames were leaping out. Two fire-tenders from Moulali and Malakpet were dispatched immediately and the fire- fighting operation went on till the afternoon.
‘‘Huge quantities of a raw material used in the manufacture of fertiliser were kept in the godown. We found at least four heaps of the material in the building that has only two shutters. The fire brigade could not reach the spot due to the intense heat and high flames,’’ said Y.Prabhakar Swamy, fire officer, Ranga Reddy district.
Realising that the firetenders’ water was not enough to douse the fire, the district fire service officers brought one truckload of dry sand, blankets and a JCB to douse the flames.
‘‘Twenty-five firemen, assisted by Greater Hyderabad municipal employees, fought hard to bring the fire under control after several hours,’’ Swamy said.
"Thick smoke engulfed the Autonagar area and residents had a tough time as foul smell from the burning chemicals enveloped the area. Most of the residents vacated the place and were shifted to a place in Vanasthalipuram. Motorists and locals had their faces covered with cloth as a precautionary measure,’’ said K.
Ramakrishna, a welder working at a shop near the godown where the fire broke out.
It is learnt that that 25 firetenders in Cyberabad are stationed near the Hyderabad International Convention centre (HICC) at Madhapur where the 19-day COP-11 international biodiversity conference is being held
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