Goa: A massive fire destroyed the warehouse of the Berger Becker Coatings Pvt. Ltd factory at the Pilerne Industrial estate on Tuesday evening. Ninety-four workers were in the factory at the time of the mishap, but all managed to escape without injuries. Meanwhile, the smoke from the paint factory hit Goa's sky leading it to turn black and cloudy. Some might have initially guessed it to be unseasonal rains, however, the reason behind the dark sky was the smoke emanating from the fire. Watch:
The fire at the factory, which destroyed paints, chemicals and solvents, led to thick black smoke billowing into the sky which could be seen several kilometres away and concerns over the adverse health effects of chemical smoke have prompted authorities to advise people to wear a mask as a precautionary measure.
Industrial fire tenders, special vehicle ‘Turntable ladder’ and water bouser were also pressed into service. When media reached put to Pilerne Fire Station Officer Srikant Parrikar, he stated the fire took more than four-and-half hours to get extinguished.
“Around 100 workers were working in the factory when the fire broke out. The loss would be massive as the entire factory has been burnt and it will take quite some time for the company to rebuild the factory,” a staffer was quoted in reports. However, “No causalities have been reported," said IDC Chairman Aleixo Reginald Lourenco.
(With inputs from The Goan)
