Pune Fires: Guardian Minister Orders Audit Of Busy Lanes

Pune: Just four days after a massive fire engulfed several godowns in the Timber Market, two more fire incidents occurred on Monday. Pune Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil has responded by instructing the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Fire Department to conduct a fire audit of busy and narrow areas throughout the city.

Kalyani Nagar Fire

The latest fire incident took place at MariSoft Tower, a prominent IT park building in Kalyaninagar. The fire erupted around 11:26 am and quickly escalated, spreading through the electrical ducts and causing increased intensity and smoke from the second to the fifth floor. Firefighters had to break windows to release the smoke.

50 rescued

The fire was believed to be caused by an electric short circuit. MariSoft Tower houses several IT companies and offices, and the fire brigade team successfully rescued over 50 trapped individuals using ladders. Two fire brigade officials and two IT firm employees sustained minor injuries. The fire was extinguished by noon.

The building houses several IT companies and business offices, making it a bustling hub for professionals in the area. Some of the employees working in the IT park came out of the building as soon as they heard about the fire, while some of the employees were trapped on the roof and were scared because of the smoke.

Market Yard fire

In a separate incident, a fire broke out in a paper-cardboard godown in Golmarket during the early hours of Monday morning. Nine fire tenders promptly arrived at the scene and successfully extinguished the fire. Cooling operations were initiated immediately.

Considering these recent fire incidents, Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil has stressed the importance of conducting a comprehensive fire audit, covering both busy areas and narrow spaces prone to such incidents.

Incidents in May

May 1: Two persons were injured after a fire broke out and caused explosions at three shops located in a two-storey building on Satara Road in Pune city.

May 6: Three workers were killed after a fire broke out at a warehouse of a ‘mandap’ decorator in Wagholi area.

May 25: While no casualties were reported, it took nearly 35 fire tenders and 150 firefighters deployed from across Pune, over six hours to control the blaze. Eight more small houses and two buildings including one of a school have suffered minor damages in the fire.