Page 5 - Fire Safety

Days after Rajkot fire, game zone co-owner held; arrests in case rise to 10

Police have arrested a co-owner of the Rajkot game zone, where a fire claimed 27 lives last month, taking the number of arrests in the case to ten, an official said on Friday. Ashoksinh Jadeja, one of the six owners of the TRP game zone, surrendered before the police on Thursday evening, the official said. Jadeja, who owns the land on which the game zone had come up, had been absconding after a fire devastated the recreation facility on May 25 in Gujarat's Rajkot city. Rajkot Police Commissioner Brajesh Kumar Jha confirmed on Friday that Jadeja is in the custody of the crime branch after his surrender. Earlier, police had arrested five co-owners and a manager of the game zone. They also took into custody four government officials, including Rajkot's Town Planning Officer (TPO) M D Sagathia, assistant TPOs Mukesh Makwana and Gautam Joshi, and former station officer of Kalavad Road fire station Rohit Vigora. During the probe, it was confirmed that one of the co-owners, Prakash Hiran

Kerala health min denied permission to visit Kuwait for fire relief efforts

Kerala Health Minister Veena George has claimed she was denied permission by the Union Government to travel to Kuwait. The purpose of the visit was to coordinate relief efforts for Keralites affected by a tragic fire incident in the Gulf nation, she said. "What we just sought from the central government was the permission to travel to Kuwait to stand with our people affected by the tragedy and coordinate activities there. That permission is denied," George told reporters on Thursday night. The fire incident has claimed the lives of 49 people, with 40 of them being Indians. Out of these, 23 are from Kerala. The state government had decided to send George to Kuwait to help with the relief efforts, including treatment for the injured and the repatriation of the deceased. George reportedly waited for hours at the airport, hoping for permission from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Kuwait fire: MK Stalin announces Rs 5L each for families of 7 victims

Fourty-five Indians have lost their lives in the deadly fire that broke out in the 'labour accommodation' in the Mangaf area of Kuwait in the early hours of Wednesday

Highlights of the day: Six dead, 1,500 tourists stranded as landslides, rain wreak havoc in Sikkim

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Kuwait fire tragedy: 22 from Kerala dead; 6 hospitalised with injuries

The NORKA official said that they have unofficial reports that 22 people from Kerala have been confirmed dead and that the identities of 15 of them have been confirmed

Kuwait fire: Kerala govt to provide Rs 5L to kin of those from state

The Kerala government on Thursday said it will provide Rs 5 lakh financial assistance to the families of the people from the state who died in the Kuwait fire tragedy that claimed 49 lives and left 50 others injured. The decision was taken at an emergency Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the morning, a statement issued by his office said. According to information received by the government, 19 people from Kerala died in the incident, the statement said. The cabinet also decided to provide Rs one lakh financial assistance to those injured in the incident, it said. A decision was taken to immediately send state Health Minister Veena George to Kuwait to coordinate the efforts to provide treatment to those injured and bring back the bodies of those who died in the tragedy, it further said. The statement also said prominent businessmen M A Yusuff Ali and Ravi Pillai have informed the CM that they will provide Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively, to each o

Kuwait fire: Situation will be clear as we reach there, says minister

"An Air Force plane is on standby. As soon as the bodies are identified, the kin will be informed and our Air Force plane will bring the bodies back..." the MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh said

Kuwait fire: Jaishankar discusses early repatriation of bodies of Indians

Jaishankar said that he was assured that the incident would be fully investigated

Three workers dead, 6 injured in fire in Narela food processing unit

Three workers died and six others were injured after a fire broke out and caused a blast in a food processing unit in the early hours of Saturday in the Narela Industrial Area here , the Delhi Police said. They said they received a distress call at 3.35 am about the fire in the Shayam Kripa Foods Private Ltd that processes dry moong dal. The fire engulfed the factory, trapping some workers in it, the official said. Fourteen fire tenders were pressed into service and the dousing operation was still underway, a Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official said around 8.30 am. He said nine people were rescued from inside the building and shifted to SHRC Hospital in Narela. Three of them -- Shyam (24), Ram Singh (30) and Beerpal (42) -- were declared dead, while others were under treatment, the police officer said. He said preliminary investigation suggest that the blaze started after a gas leak from one of the pipelines. The gas was supplied to burners used for roasting moong dal. As the fire

4th case in June: Fire erupts after AC unit bursts into flame in Ghaziabad

An AC unit installed in a two-storey building in Vasundhara in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh burst into flames on Thursday morning

Fire breaks out in three coaches of Taj Express in Delhi, no casualties

Four coaches of the Taj Express train caught fire in southeast Delhi's Sarita Vihar on Monday, officials said. "We received a call at 4.24 pm regarding the fire in four coaches of the Taj Express train. Eight fire tenders were pressed into service and efforts to douse the blaze are underway," a Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official said. No reports of any casualties have been received so far, the official said.

Follow fire protocol at hospitals to a T: Union health secy to states

Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra on Monday called for strict compliance with fire-safety protocols in a meeting with states and healthcare organisations, citing an increased possibility of fires in hospitals with high temperatures. With the entire northern region reeling under a prolonged heatwave, incidents of fire, including in forests, are increasingly being reported. Several of these fire incidents were reported to be caused by short circuits which happened due to sub-optimal electrical maintenance and/or overload of electricity lines with heavy use of air-conditioners and other equipment. "Given the potential risks associated with fire hazards in hospitals, it is imperative that strict protocols and measures be put in place to prevent, detect and respond to fires effectively. "Establishing a robust fire safety plan and conducting fire-evacuation and safety drills will not only ensure compliance with regulatory requirements but also safeguard lives and property," Chandra .

Firefighters battle wildfires across drought-stricken areas of Florida

Firefighters across central and southern Florida are battling wildfires that have temporarily shut down highways and caused some residents to be evacuated. On Sunday, firefighters in Pompano Beach said they found a "badly charred body" after they doused a brush fire. Officials said they couldn't determine whether the person was male or female. Firefighters said some people had been living in camps in the wooded area, but weren't sure if the victim had been living there. The cause of the fire and the death are being investigated. More than 900 acres had burned near Osteen in Volusia County as of Sunday, although the Florida Forest Service said the fire is now 90 per cent contained. The fire broke out on Saturday and may have been sparked by the remains of an earlier wildfire, Volusia County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Scott Smoak told WESH-TV. Most of central and southern Florida are currently experiencing drought conditions, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center, with

Massive fire at Delhi's Kashmere Gate police station; records, files gutted

Case files, records and documents of investigating officers were gutted at a police station here as a fire ripped through its 15 rooms and also spread to the office of the metro deputy commissioner of police on its premises, according to officials. There was no casualty in the incident at the Kashmiri Gate Metro Police Station, they said and added that the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received a call about it at 12:45 am on Saturday. Police said due to the efforts of fire-fighters the portion of the "malkhaana" that stored arms, ammunition and case properties was not damaged in the blaze. There were 15 police personnel in the barracks when the fire broke out and all of them managed to exit safely, the officials said. Besides the rooms of the police station, 18 rooms of the office of the metro deputy commissioner of police (DCP) were also gutted, they said. Twelve fire tenders were deployed and it took an hour and a half to douse the fire, DFS said and added that cooling operations we

Puri fire incident: Toll mounts to four; 26 others undergoing treatment

The death toll in the firecracker explosion in Odisha's Puri mounted to four on Friday after another person succumbed to injuries, a senior official said. Three persons, including a minor, had died and 33 others were injured after a stockpile of firecrackers exploded during Lord Jagannath's Chandan Jatra festival in Puri on Wednesday evening. Another injured person has died in hospital, while 26 others were undergoing treatment, a statement issued by the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) said. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered an administrative-level inquiry into the incident, and announced ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased. The Collector, Puri has already taken steps for payment of Rs 4 lakh each towards ex-gratia assistance to the next of kin of 4 deceased persons, the SRC statement said. An additional chief secretary-level officer of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Satyabrata Sahu, who is also the special relief ...

Delhi fire dept got over 200 calls on May 29, highest so far this year

Fire-related calls surged to 180 on Wednesday recording a nearly three-fold rise over the single-day calls received by the Delhi Fire Service, with officials attributing the increase to heatwave conditions prevailing in the national capital. The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received 220 calls, including 183 fire-related, on Wednesday, the highest so far this year, officials said. The remaining calls were related to bird and animal rescue. From January 1 to May 26, the department received 8,912 fire-related calls, according to the data shared by the DFS on Monday. "We received 183 calls fire-related 24 hours, ending midnight of May 29," DFS chief Atul Garg said. This was the highest single-day calls recorded so far this year. Usually, we receive almost 150 calls in the whole summer season -- 60 are fire-related and the remaining are related to animal rescue. But this time there is a three-fold rise," he said. With the temperature soaring in the city and hovering near the 50-degree Cel

Delhi fire dept gets 200 plus calls on May 29, highest so far this year

The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received over 200 calls, including 183 fire-related, on Wednesday, the highest so far this year, officials said. From January 1 to May 26, they received 8,912 fire-related calls, according to the data shared by the DFS on Monday. We received 183 calls fire-related class in 24 hours, ending midnight of May 29, DFS chief Atul Garg said. "This was the highest single-day calls recorded so far in this year." With the temperature soaring in the city and hovering near the 50-degree Celsius mark, Delhi is seeing a rise in fire-related incidents, claiming several lives. According to the data, fire has taken 55 lives and injured more than 300 people in the national capital so far this year. Sixteen people were killed in fire-related incidents in January, another 16 in February, 12 in March, four in April, and seven till May 26, it said. On May 26, a fire tragedy at Baby Care New Born Hospital in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar area claimed the lives of six newborns a

15 injured as firecrackers explode during Lord Jagannath's festival in Puri

Fifteen people received burn injuries after a heap of firecrackers exploded during Lord Jagannath's Chandan Jatra festival in Odisha's Puri on Wednesday night, police said. Hundreds of people had gathered on the banks of Narendra Pushkarinee, a waterbody, to witness the rituals when the accident happened, they said. A group of devotees were celebrating the festival with crackers. Suddenly, a splinter from the burning crackers struck the heap, leading to the explosion, they added. The burning crackers then hit the people gathered at the spot, and some of them, even jumped into the waterbody to save themselves, police said. The injured persons were admitted to the district hospital, and the conditions of four of them were critical, a doctor said. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the incident and directed officials concerned to ensure proper treatment of the injured. He said the cost of the treatment would be borne by the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

1,038 forest fires reported this summer in Himachal, 38 FIRs registered

Twenty-five forest fires were reported in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, taking the number of such blazes during this summer season to 1,038 so far, officials said. Property worth about Rs 3 crore has been damaged, they said. However, no casualty was reported, said Assistant Chief Conservator of Forests Pushpinder Rana. "We have over 3,000 local field officers and holidays of staff have been cancelled," he told PTI, adding that 18,000 volunteers of the state disaster management authority are rendering help and 'aapada mitra' (volunteers for disaster response) have also come forward to help the forest department in dousing the fire. "So far 38 FIRs have been registered and 600 complaints have been given to the police for investigation and action against offenders, and we have also asked the general public to share photos and videos if they see someone lighting fire in the forests," he added. Himachal Pradesh's Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Rajiv Kumar attributed the forest

MCD issues fire advisory to health facilities, asks for report by May 31

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has issued an advisory to prevent fire incidents in health facilities here and asked for an action taken report by May 31. The advisory comes after a fire at a private children's hospital in East Delhi on Saturday night killed six newborns. The civic body has directed the in-charges of all health facilities under its jurisdiction to submit the action taken report. Health facilities are directed to regularly inspect fire-fighting equipment such as extinguishers, hydrants, and alarms to ensure all are functional, according to the advisory. Material used in construction and furnishing must be audited to identify and replace combustible material with those that are fire resistant, it stated.