The workers had gone to a mosque for prayers when the warehouse they worked at went up in flames; blaze destroyed AC units worth Rs 1.2 crore
A major fire broke out at a warehouse in Hirabhai Compound, Ghodapdeo, in Byculla, yesterday afternoon.
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The fire was doused by 3.30 pm, however, the blaze gutted the entire warehouse. Pic/Suresh Karkera
While owner Suresh Purohit sustained a loss of property worth Rs 1.2 crore, there were no reports of any casualties because, at the time of the incident, the four workers were out offering their Friday prayers at a nearby mosque.
The incident
According to workers at the warehouse — which stocked air conditioners — they noticed the fire as soon as they emerged from the mosque.
While several people tried to call the fire brigade, help didn’t arrive until 2.30 pm.
Purohit, who had been working in the warehouse for the last 20 years, said, “The fire was too big to contain by the time the fire brigade arrived. We had tried throwing water and mud to douse the fire. We also broke the tin roof and threw in buckets of water, but it was like a drop in the ocean. The situation wouldn’t have gone out of hand if the fire officials had reached on time.”
The excuses
Speaking to mid-day, a senior fire brigade officer said, “There was a traffic snarl on our way and the road was really narrow. In fact, we had to remove vehicles dotting the lane to reach the spot. We had reacted within five minutes of getting the call around 2 pm.”
He added the fire was doused by 3.30 pm.
The intervention
Atti Khan, one of the workers at the mosque at the time of the incident, said, “It’s almost like God saved us. We might have died if we had not stepped out to offer namaz.”
According to Byculla police station officers, a short circuit caused the fire, but they refused to give an official comment until the inquiry was over.
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