Page 2 - Fire Safety

Massive fire breaks out at chemical godown in Thane; official injured

A major fire broke out at a godown storing chemicals along the Mumbai-Nashik highway in Maharashtra's Thane district, officials said on Monday. While no casualty was reported in the blaze which erupted around 9.45 pm on Sunday, a fire officer was injured after falling into a drain during the firefighting operation, they said. Thick smoke from the burning chemicals triggered panic in the surrounding industrial area. Efforts were still on to douse the blaze, the officials said. The fire originated in the chemical storage unit located near Savad Naka in Lonad village of Bhiwandi town along the highway, Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell chief Saquib Kharbe said. Several fire engines and private water tankers were pressed into service, he said. There was no report of any casualty in the blaze so far. However, fire officer Nitin Lad sustained injuries after slipping and falling into a drain while wearing a fire suit during the operation and was immediat

Over 60 killed in massive fire at newly opened mall in eastern Iraq

A fire at a newly opened mall in eastern Iraq's Wasit province killed more than 60 people, including women and children, Iraqi officials said Thursday. Iraq's Ministry of Interior said in a statement that 61 people died, most of them from suffocation, in the fire that broke out late Wednesday in the city of Kut. Among the dead were 14 charred bodies that remain unidentified, it said. Civil defence teams were able to rescue more than 45 people who were trapped inside the building, the statement said. The mall, which had opened only a week earlier, was in a five-story building that also contained a restaurant and supermarket. The state-run Iraqi News Agency reported that people remained missing. Photographs and videos on local media showed the building fully engulfed in flames. Provincial Gov Mohammed al-Mayyeh in a statement declared three days of mourning. He said the cause of the fire is under investigation but that legal cases were filed against the building owner and mall owner

Fire breaks out in coaches of express trains near Tirupati; none injured

Fires on passenger and freight trains near Tirupati and Thiruvallur trigger panic, destroy coaches, disrupt Chennai-bound services. Thankfully, no casualties were reported

Evacuations ordered at Grand Canyon, Black Canyon parks amid wildfires

Visitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West have been evacuated because of wildfires. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, about 260 miles (418 kilometers) southwest of Denver, closed Thursday morning after lighting sparked blazes on both rims, the park said. The wildfire on the South Rim has burned 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometers), with no containment of the perimeter. The park is closed until further notice. The conditions there have been ripe for wildfire with hot temperatures, low humidity, gusty winds and dry vegetation, the park said, adding that weather remained a concern Friday. Firefighters saved the visitor center along the South Rim by removing dry vegetation and coating the building in a layer of protective material, fire officials said. Small aircrafts from Colorado's Division of Fire Prevention and Control dropped retardant from the sky Friday while ground crews tried to contain the burn. The Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona also closed

Man suffocates in lift of fire-struck Vishal Mega Mart in Karol Bagh

A 25-year-old shopper was found dead inside a lift in Vishal Mega Mart after a fire broke out there, police said on Saturday. Kumar Dhirender Pratap likely died of suffocation, they said. A search party composed of police, the fire department, and the disaster response unit found his body. At 6.51 pm on Friday, Dhirender began a streak of messages to his elder brother from inside the lift. "Bhaiya (brother)" followed by, "Hum lift mein hoon. Gas (sic) gaye hain. Karol Bagh Mega Mart." His final message, also sent at 6.51 pm, read, "Ab saans phool raha. Kuchh karo" (I am short of breath now. Do something). There were no further messages from him. The fire was reported at 6.44 pm from the second floor of the four-storey building on Padam Singh Road. "This is a Vishal Mega Mart outlet where grocery and fabric items are sold. The fire was confined mainly to the second floor," a Delhi Police statement said. Thirteen fire tenders were pressed into service to control the blaze. The ca

Indian Navy contains fire on board Palau-flagged tanker with 14 Indian crew

The Indian Navy contained a fire on board a Palau-flagged tanker in the North Arabian Sea and ensured safety of 14 of the vessel's Indian crew members. The Navy swung into action and launched the fire-fighting operation after receiving a distress call from the vessel on Sunday. The vessel reported a major fire in its engine room while operating approximately 80 nautical miles east of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). "The Indian Navy undertook a high-risk fire fighting and rescue operation on-board Palau-flagged tanker MT Yi Cheng 6 on June 29 in the North Arabian Sea, successfully stabilising the situation and ensuring the safety of 14 Indian crew members," according to an Indian readout. The navy deployed its warship INS Tabar to assist the vessel. "Responding swiftly, INS Tabar proceeded at maximum speed to provide assistance," the Navy said in the readout. It said seven crew members were immediately evacuated to INS Tabar using the ship's boats. "No injuries were ..

Viral video: 67-storey Dubai Marina building catches fire, 3,820 evacuated

A massive fire in a 67-storey Dubai Marina tower forced the evacuation of 3,820 residents. No injuries were reported, but many flagged alarm failures and praised emergency responders

Massive blast at Weifang chemical plant shakes city, no casualties reported

A massive chemical explosion rocked an industrial park in Weifang city, eastern China, sending smoke high into the sky and shattering windows kilometres away

'No calls for help': Locals recall horror as 17 die in Hyderabad blaze

A fire tore through a building in Hyderabad' Charminar, killing 17 members of a single family-including eight children

17 killed in fire at building near Hyderabad; PM Modi offers condolences

As many as 13 people, including four children, were killed in a massive fire that broke out at a building in Gulzar House near the historic Charminar on Sunday. A senior official of a private hospital here told PTI that eight people were brought dead. Unfortunately 8 patients were brought dead to Yashoda Hospital, Malakpet, hospital sources said. The deceased include two childrenaged two and seven besides three women, the sources said. Apollo Hospitals in a statement said they received five people with burn and inhalation injuries and all were declared brought dead. All these victims had severe burns and inhalation injuries and could not be revived. Death was declared. Our ambulance team continues to remain on site to rescue any further victims. We are providing maximum support to the families of victims in this difficult time, Apollo Hospitals said. In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the loss of lives due to a fire tragedy in Hyderabad. He anno

Morning exams cancelled after fire at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College library

A massive fire broke out in the library of Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce in northwest Delhi's Pitampura on Thursday morning, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said. "A short circuit in the library's server triggered the fire, extensively damaging hundreds of books in the section that housed old books. The library is still filled with smoke, and a detailed assessment of the losses will be possible only once visibility improves," a senior college official told PTI. The blaze erupted at around 8:55 am and engulfed the first, second and third floors of the four-storey library, DFS chief Atul Garg said. Soon, 11 fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the fire was brought under control by 9:40 am, Garg said, adding that no one was injured in the incident. "Several window panes shattered due to the high flames, and the fire spread rapidly due to strong winds. Our teams responded swiftly and managed to douse the flames," a senior fire official said, adding that cooling operations are

Odisha govt sets 15-day deadline for fire safety inspection in hospitals

The Odisha government has asked officials to complete the fire safety inspection of government-run healthcare facilities in their respective areas in 15 days in the wake of fire incidents in some government and private hospitals during the past few months. Health and Family Welfare Secretary Aswathy S issued the instructions to fire officers, electrical inspectors, engineers of the roads and building department, and chief medical and public health officers during a meeting held last evening, a health department official said on Tuesday. During the meeting, Aswathy directed the officials to prioritise operation theatres (OTs), intensive care units (ICUs), special newborn care units (SNCUs), and heavy power load installations such as CT scan or MRI machines which are more prone to electrical incidents. She also directed to ensure proper and safe connections of the generators with the electrical wiring system in the buildings to prevent any possible short circuits. In the meeting it w

Police launch investigation into Dilli Haat fire that gutted over 30 shops

The Delhi Police said it has launched an investigation into the fire that broke out at Dilli Haat in south Delhi's INA area in which at least 30 shops were gutted. Police will examine CCTV footage from multiple areas to determine the cause of the fire on Wednesday night, an official said. No casualties were reported. "We have launched a detailed investigation into the fire incident that took place at Dilli Haat. We have formed multiple teams," said a senior police officer. The officer said police are also verifying the response time of the fire teams that rushed to the location. A massive fire broke out at Dilli Haat, a popular market in INA area, gutting over 30 shops and destroying items worth several crore rupees. Thirteen fire tenders had to be deployed to control the fire. Delhi Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra also rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

Fire at China nursing home kills 20 elderly residents, 19 hospitalised

Twenty elderly people were killed in a fire at a nursing home in north China's Hebei province, local officials said on Wednesday. A total of 39 elderly residents were residing in the building when the blaze broke out around 9 pm on Tuesday (local time) in Longhua County, Chengde City, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The fire was extinguished by around 11 pm. A total of 20 people have been confirmed dead so far while 19 were sent to a hospital for examination. Police have detained the person in charge of the nursing home. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, the report said. Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted Jimu News that the 300-bed Guoen Senior Home had 260 elderly residents at the time of the blaze, based on public records. Among them were 98 people with total disability and 84 described as semi-disabled. According to the records, the remaining 78 residents were capable of self-care. According to the licensing record, its business scope was

Massive fire at warehouse in Gurugram, over 200 firefighters deployed

A massive fire broke out at a garment warehouse in Saraswati Enclave Industrial area here and soon spread to two adjoining warehouses of liquor and shoes, prompting a 12-hour operation to douse the blaze, officials said on Wednesday. While no one was reported injured despite the intensity of the fire that started late at night on Tuesday, there was extensive damage to goods in the warehouses. More than 20 fire tenders and over 200 firefighters had to be deployed to control the fire. According to a senior fire officer, a fire broke out in a garment warehouse in Saraswati Enclave Industrial Area at 11.49 pm on Tuesday night. Fire engines from the Sector 37 fire station reached the spot, but the fire spread rapidly to the adjoining liquor and shoe warehouses. Staff from all fire stations of the district and vehicles and firefighters from stations in Nuh and Jhajjar districts were also called, he said. The fire was brought under control after a 12-hour operation on Wednesday ...

S Korea in uphill battle to contain massive wildfires as death toll hits 26

Multiple wildfires raging across South Korea's southern regions for days have killed 26 people and destroyed more than 300 structures, officials said, as thousands of personnel and dozens of helicopters were mobilized again Thursday to battle the the county's worst-ever blazes. Korea Forest Service chief Lim Sang-seop said a small amount - less than 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) - of rain was expected in the area on Thursday, not enough to play a meaningful role in extinguishing the wildfires. The fatalities include a pilot whose helicopter crashed during efforts to contain a fire and four firefighters and other workers who died after being trapped by fast-moving flames driven by strong winds. Authorities haven't disclosed details of the civilian dead, except that they are mostly in their 60s and 70s. They suspect human error caused several of the wildfires that began last Friday, including cases where people started fires while clearing overgrown grass from family tombs or with sparks

Wildfires in Japan damage homes, force residents to evacuate in 2 areas

Wildfires have hit several regions in western Japan, injuring at least two people, forcing dozens of residents to evacuate and damaging a number of homes as hundreds of firefighters battled the widening blazes in the mountainous areas. The fires in the western towns of Okayama, Imabari and Aso broke out Sunday, quickly burning hundreds of hectares (acres). Six homes have been damaged in city of Okayama, where a fire started on Mount Kaigara and burned 250 hectares (600 acres) of the forest. In Imabari, in the Ehime prefecture on the main island of Shikoku, the fire left a firefighter slightly injured. Firefighters and defense helicopters sprayed water but the blazes in the two prefectures had not been extinguished as of Monday afternoon. Experts blamed dry weather and dried-up fallen leaves on the ground in the forest as likely causes of the wildfires in Okayama and Imabari. A smaller fire was detected in the mountainous village of Aso in the Kumamoto prefecture on the southern ma

'No cash found' at Justice Varma's residence, says Delhi Fire chief

Earlier in the day, media reports said a large stash of cash was recovered from Delhi HC Justice Yashwant Varma's residence during the course of fire-fighting a blaze at his residence

51 dead, dozens more injured in nightclub fire in North Macedonia

A massive fire that broke out early Sunday in a nightclub in North Macedonia's southern town of Kocani has killed 51 people and injured about 100 more, interior minister Panche Toshkovski told a press conference. The blaze began around 2:35 am during a concert by a local pop group, according to Toshkovski. He said the young clubgoers used pyrotechnics that caused the roof to catch fire. Video on social media shows chaos inside. Family members have gathered in front of hospitals and Kocani's city offices begging authorities for more information. Toshkovski said police have arrested one man, but didn't provide details on the person's involvement.

Exposed wires may have contributed to LA's Eaton fire, claims law firm

Robertson and experts with his firm captured the images of SCE's equipment by hiking to SCE towers along the ridge of foothills near Altadena and deploying drones earlier this month