Date:18/07/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/07/18/stories/2006071817610300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Fire at private software tech park

Staff Reporter

Building occupied even before fire safety equipment was in place, says Fire Service

CONTAINING THE FLAMES: Firemen spraying water onto the sixth and seventh floors of the building from a sky-lift on Monday. — Photo: R.Shivaji Rao

CHENNAI: A fire broke out on the sixth and seventh floors of a building housing a private software technology park in Ekkaduthangal along Inner Ring Road on Monday, but was brought under control in about two hours.

Fire and Rescue Services officials said the fire broke out in the UPS section, where batteries were kept.

They suspected that a small quantity of hydrogen gas could have formed in the room and sparks generated by an overload of the power supply could have ignited the gas, leading to the fire.

The Fire and Rescue Services authorities said they received the alarm around 8 a.m., and sent out four fire tenders and five Metrowater tankers.

Sky-lift

A senior Fire and Rescue Services officer said as the fire occurred on the sixth and seventh floors, they brought in a sky-lift. Both the floors were covered with glass panes without any outlets or windows.

Because of the dense smoke and the absence of outlets, the fire fighters, though wearing masks, were unable to enter the building to trace the origin of the fire.

Firefighters had to break a few glass panes and let the smoke went out before going in and bringing the flames under control. According to the officials, there was a violation in the company occupying the floors before completion of work and issue of a licence.

Another officer said fire fighting fixed installations such as wet risers, automatic sprinklers and fire extinguishers had not yet been installed.

No fire licence

A private company had contracted to occupy the space at the new building even before the installation of necessary basic fire fighting equipment, he said. The building promoters had not obtained the Fire Licence from the Fire and Rescue Services before occupying the building.

The issue would be brought to the notice of Chennai Metropolitan Development authorities for further action, they said.

V. Kalyana Raman, president, Khivraj Technology Park, where the fire was reported, said one of the watchmen in the building saw the smoke on the sixth and seventh floors of the building located on the northern wing and the Fire Service was informed. Soon after the incident, a safety audit was conducted, he claimed.

When asked how a private software firm had already occupied two floors before the work was completed, Mr. Kalyana Raman said almost all work on the sixth and seventh floors were over and the safety systems were in place.