06 March,2011 08:23 AM IST | | Vinod Kumar Menon
Conflicting eyewitness accounts and a lack of circumstantial evidence could leave it inconclusive like Behrampada's 2009 fire case
Will the Garib Nagar fire remain a mystery? In the last 36 hours, fire department officials have hit a dead end with no definite clue on the reason behind the fire that left over 700 shanties gutted and 1,100 families homeless on Friday.
The fire department is facing a situation similar to the one they faced in June 2009, when a major fire broke out in Behrampada, killing one and injuring 28 others. Officials haven't been able to get to the cause behind the 2009 fire yet. They submitted a non-conclusive fire report to the police, asking them to further the probe.
Abhay Kale, Assistant Divisional Officer, Marol Fire Brigade who is currently probing the Garib Nagar fire, admitted to Sunday MiD DAY that June 2009's Behrampada case was inconclusive. "The fire department reaches the spot after the fire breaks out, and we have to depend on local eyewitness accounts to gather preliminary inputs on the reason behind the fire. This needs to be corroborated by other material and circumstantial evidence gathered from the spot," he said.u00a0
In the Garib Nagar case, one of the major hurdles the fire officials are facing is variation in statements given by the eyewitnesses. "We have recorded the statement of 18 people who were at the spot where the fire broke out and most of them are contradicting the others. Since the entire area has been charred, there's little circumstantial evidence," Kale said.
Preliminary findings have revealed that an area of 400 x 250 meters, which accommodated close to 700 shanties, was gutted in the fire that started at 8.20 pm and went on till 1.00 am on Friday night. Around 250 firemen, 30 fire tenders, 12 tankers and ambulances were pressed into service. Kale clarified that the fire did not spread due to the breeze; it was the inflammable materials used to construct the shanties that added to it.
Apart from the narrow lanes that were a hindrance to the fire brigade, residents proved to be a nuisance, taking control of the hosepipes as soon as the fire brigades would arrive, and operating them as if they were trained fire fighters.
On Saturday, according to Chief Minister Prithvriaj Chavan's instruction, 23 officials from the Suburban collector's office recorded the statements of the residents and provided initial financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per person per family. Those families with more than five members, were given Rs 5,000.
Senior officials at Mantralaya said the Chief Minister was likely to visit the spot on Sunday, after he returned from Yavatmal, where he is on a two-day official visit.
