Page 9 - Fire Safety

Fire dept identifies 240 rooftop restaurants in Bengaluru violating norms

Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services Department has identified over 240 rooftop restaurants in the city which have allegedly violated fire safety norms and license rules, officials said on Sunday. These include bars, hookah bars and pubs, they said. Following a massive fire that broke out at a cafe in a multi-storied commercial building in the posh Koramangala area here early this month, the fire department started inspecting various such premises to check if the fire safety norms in these establishments were complied with. "Since the major fire incident at Koramangala, we started inspecting such rooftop establishments and so far till October 26, the fire department has identified 243 premises which have violated fire related safety norms and license rules," a senior fire official said. The inspection is being carried out on daily basis on working days from Monday to Friday. A complied list of all these establishments which have violated fire safety norms has been sent to th

Coal mine fire in Kazakhstan kills 28 workers, investigation underway

A coal mine fire in central Kazakhstan killed at least 21 workers while another 25 remained unaccounted for on Saturday, the operating company ArcelorMittal Temirtau said in a statement. Some 252 people were working at the Kostenko coal mine at the time of the blaze, believed to have been caused by a pocket of methane gas, the company said. ArcelorMittal Temirtau is the local representative for Luxembourg-based multinational ArcelorMittal, the world's second-largest steel producer. It operates eight coal mines across the Karaganda region and a further four iron ore mines in central and northern Kazakhstan. The fire is the latest in a string of workplace deaths at sites operated by ArcelorMittal Temirtau. In August, four miners were killed after a fire erupted at the same mine, while five people died following a methane leak at another site in November 2022. In the statement, the company conveyed pain at the lives lost and said their efforts are now aimed at ensuring that affected .

New wildfire on Tenerife island in Spain forces 3,000 evacuations

Soldiers and firefighters were battling to control a new wildfire on Spain's Tenerife island that has forced some 3,000 people to leave their homes for safety, the Canary Islands government said Thursday. The blaze, which started Wednesday, is centred on the towns of Santa rsula and La Orotava in the mountainous northeast of the island, away from the main tourist areas in Tenerife's southwest. The same area suffered one of the island's worst wildfires in decades in August when 14,000 hectares (35,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland were burnt and some 12,000 residents evacuated over several weeks. Although that wildfire was brought under control it was never fully extinguished. Small fires have continued to break out periodically in the same area due to winds and high temperatures. Some 120 agents including soldiers and firefighters were taking part in the operation to put out the fire, the Canary Islands government said. So far, an area of just 30 hectares (70 acres) has been .

Fire incident: MCD orders survey of PGs in all wards of Civil Lines Zone

Civic authorities have ordered a survey of paying guest facilities located in all wards of the Civil Lines Zone here in the wake of a fire incident at a PG facility in an apartment in Northwest Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar, officials said on Thursday. Thirty-five people, one of them a four-year-old girl, were rescued by firemen from a blaze that engulfed the apartment on Wednesday evening. The fire started from an electric metre in the stilt area where old furniture and a rickshaw were parked, according to a report received from the site, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi said in a statement. Directions have been issued to the zonal building department to open their office on Thursday, and to "conduct a survey of PGs in all wards of the Civil Lines Zone" of the MCD, it said. According to local inquiry conducted by the MCD, "the building was being used as a PG for girls accommodating 10-12 girls". At the time of the incident, seven-eight girls were present in the building and most of t

9 killed in TN fire; authorities blame cylinder taken inside 'illegally'

At least 10 persons were "reported dead" in a fire that broke out inside a stationary train compartment in Madurai railway station in the wee hours of Saturday, the Southern Railway said, adding a "gas cylinder" "illegally" taken in led to the blaze. The "private party coach" with 65 passengers had arrived from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. "10 persons reported dead," in the fire, a Southern Railway release said. Police, fire and rescue services personnel besides railway staff, involved in dousing the fire, extricated the charred bodies from the compartment. The fire broke out at 5.15 am on Saturday and the Fire service personnel who arrived at the spot half an hour later put down the blaze by 7.15 am, a Southern Railway release said. "This is a private party coach that was attached at Nagercoil Junction yesterday (Aug 25) by train no. 16730 (Punalur-Madurai Exp). Party coach was detached and kept at Madurai Stabling line. The passengers in the private party coach have....smuggled ga

Mamata condoles deaths in Tamil Nadu fire mishap, asks for more vigilance

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday condoled the deaths due to a blaze in a stationary train in Tamil Nadu's Madurai and asked the Railways to be more vigilant regarding safety. At least 10 people were "reported dead" in a fire that broke out inside a stationary train compartment in Madurai railway station early on Saturday, the Southern Railway said, adding a gas cylinder "illegally" taken in led to the blaze. The 'private party coach' with 65 passengers had arrived from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. "Another devastating incident in railways, this time at Madurai (Tamil Nadu) today, involving a massive fire in a train, and leading to at least 9 shocking and tragic deaths and minimally 20 critical injury cases," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "While I convey my condolences to the families of the deceased & pray for the injured, expect that inquires would fix responsibilities soon. May I also urge the railway authorities to be more vigilant and less callous about .

400 vehicles gutted in fire at two-wheeler showroom in Andhra Pradesh

As many as 400 vehicles were gutted in a fire at a two-wheeler showroom here early on Thursday morning, a police official said. The fire broke out around 5 am at the showroom located near the national highway (NH-16) and raged for about 90 minutes, the police official added. "The fire accident occurred when new vehicles were being unloaded from a truck which came from Chennai," Vijayawada Central ACP P Bhaskar Rao said and added that the loss could be around Rs 4 crore, as per preliminary estimates. Five fire engines were deployed to douse the blaze as a result of which as many as 200 vehicles could be saved, he sad. No police complaint has been lodged yet, he added. Police are yet to ascertain the cause of the accident, he said, adding there was no loss of life or injuries. Meanwhile, the situation is under control and the fire has been completely doused, Rao said, adding the owner of the showroom is estimating the loss. Police are yet to register an FIR as no complaint was lod

Immigrant workers' lives, jobs, documents in limbo after Hawaii fire

Freddy Tomas was working in his yard in Lahaina when the fire advanced with stunning speed right up to his fence. He rushed to save valuables from a safe inside his house but realised he didn't have time and fled, his face blackened with soot. Days after fleeing in his pickup truck, amid smoke so thick he could only follow the red taillights of the vehicle in front of him and pray they were going the right way, the retired hotel worker from the Philippines returned to his destroyed home with his son to look for the safe. Tomas, 65, said it had contained passports, naturalisation papers, other important documents and USD 35,000. After sifting through the ashes, father and son found the safe, but it had popped open in the fire, whipped by hurricane-force winds, and its contents were incinerated. For immigrants like Tomas, Lahaina was an oasis, with nearly double the foreign-born population of the US mainland. Now, those workers are trying to piece their lives back together after the

Maui's emergency services chief resigns amid criticism for no fire sirens

The head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency resigned abruptly Thursday, a day after saying he had no regret about not using sirens to warn residents of wildfires that devastated the historic seaside community of Lahaina and killed at least 111 people. That decision from the agency directed by Administrator Herman Andaya, coupled with water shortages that hampered firefighters and an escape route that became clogged with vehicles, has brought intense criticism from many residents. The lack of sirens has emerged as a potential misstep, and The Associated Press reported that it was part of a series of communication issues that added to the chaos. Mayor Richard Bissen accepted Andaya's resignation effective immediately, the County of Maui announced on Facebook. Andaya cited unspecified health reasons, with no further details provided. Given the gravity of the crisis we are facing, my team and I will be placing someone in this key position as quickly as possible, Bissen said in the

Hawaii wildfire: 36 dead, people jumping into ocean to save their life

Several thousand Hawaii residents raced to escape homes on Maui as the Lahaina fire swept across the island, killing at least 36 people and burning parts of a centuries-old town. The fire took the island of Maui by surprise, leaving behind burned-out cars on once busy streets and smoking piles of rubble where historic buildings had stood. Flames roared throughout the night, forcing adults and children to dive into the ocean for safety. Maui county announced the updated death toll on its website late Wednesday, writing that no other details were currently available on the deaths. Officials said earlier that 271 structures were damaged or destroyed and dozens of people injured. On Wednesday, Maui crews continued to battle blazes in several places on the island. Authorities urged visitors to stay away. Lahaina residents Kamuela Kawaakoa and Iiulia Yasso described a harrowing escape under smoke-filled skies Tuesday afternoon. The couple and their 6-year-old son got back to their apartm

Fire at shop in east Delhi's Gandhi Nagar, 21 fire tenders rushed to spot

A major fire broke out at a plywood factory Wednesday morning in east Delhi's Gandhi Nagar area, officials said. According to fire officials, information about the blaze was received at 4.07 am, following which 21 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The factory is situated opposite Gandhi Nagar Police Station. The fire was brought under control.

Fire breaks out at factory in Delhi's Samaypur Badli area, 4 injured

Four people were injured in a fire at a factory in northwest Delhi's Samaypur Badli area on Monday, officials said. According to fire officials, information regarding the blaze was received at 11.15 am, following which 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot at Ambe Garden in Samaypur Badli. Preliminary information suggested that four people were injured, they said, adding that further details are awaited.

MHA launches Rs 5k cr scheme for modernization of fire services in states

Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday launched the Scheme for expansion and modernization of Fire Services in the states with a total outlay of Rs 5,000 crore."The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has launched a 'Scheme for Expansion and Modernization of Fire Services in the States' from the earmarked allocation of Preparedness and Capacity Building Funding Window under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for strengthening fire services in the States with a total outlay of Rs 5,000 crores," an official statement said.MHA said that an amount of Rs 500 crore, out of the total outlay, has been kept for incentivizing the States on the basis of their legal and infrastructure-based reforms. A letter in this regard has been sent to the Chief Secretaries and Heads of Fire Services of all States.The scheme was already announced by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah on June 13 in a meeting with the Ministers of Disaster Management of the States and Union Territories.MHA said that the ...

Govt brings Rs 5,000 cr scheme for modernisation of fire services in states

The Centre has launched a scheme for the modernisation of fire services in all states with a total outlay of Rs 5,000 crore under the National Disaster Response Fund. According to an official statement, a letter in this regard has been sent to the chief secretaries and heads of fire services of the states. To seek funds under the scheme, the state governments shall have to contribute 25 per cent (except for Northeastern and Himalayan states which shall contribute 10 per cent) of the total cost of the projects from their budgetary resources, it said. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has launched the scheme for the expansion and modernisation of fire services in states from the earmarked allocation of preparedness and capacity building funding window under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), it said. It aims to strengthen fire services in the states with a total outlay of Rs 5,000 crore, the statement said. An amount of Rs 500 crore, out of the total outlay, has been kept

AAP MLA calls for adherence to fire safety rules in Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar

He mentioned that all the concerned departments under the Delhi Government were quick to respond, thus preventing any unwarranted situation from occurring

At least 10 people killed in fire at hostel in New Zealand's Wellington

It has been confirmed by authorities this morning that there were no sprinklers in the building - and there are still 20 people unaccounted for

Fire at house in Kirari area of Suleman Nagar in Delhi, one killed

One person was killed after a fire broke out in the Suleman Nagar in Delhi, late Saturday night, the officials informed

Over 10,000 fire incidents in Delhi till June 30 this year: Authorities

The maximum number of fire incidents was reported between April 1 and June 30 this year, in part contributed to by scorching temperatures and heatwave conditions during the period

Mundka Fire: Crane driver proves saviour for over 50 people trapped

Dayanand Tiwari was driving the crane along with the owner of the vehicle when he approached the ill-fated four-storey building caught in fire, with fire-tenders allegedly not in sight on May 13

Delhi: Illegal structures, scant regard for fire safety norms led to deaths

In terms of casualties, Friday's fire at the commercial building was the largest since the blaze at a factory in the Anaj Mandi area and the second largest since the Uphaar Cinema tragedy in 1997.