Times of India
NAGPUR: In one of the biggest fire accidents in recent times the garment and linen manufacturing unit of city-based Lord’s was completely
destroyed in the wee hours of
Wednesday.
The unit, situated at Wardhaman Nagar, used to employ about 600 workers and the accident has put a question mark on their future. Fire brigade sources said there were no casualties. Preliminary investigation has revealed an electric short-circuit to be the possible cause.
Around 2.45 am on Wednesday, the two guards deputed at the manufacturing unit opposite Inox, Wardhaman Nagar, noticed the fire at the warehouse. They alerted the proprietor Kishore Thutheja and also nearby residents who called up the fire brigade.
“We received a call around 3 am. A fire tender from the Lakadganj fire station was sent to the spot immediately. Soon, we had to send vehicles from all the eight fire stations of the city,” said chief fire officer Chandrashekhar Jadhav.
The fire spread fast, fanned by a breeze and helped by combustible materials like garments, plastics and polythene stored in the warehouse. It later engulfed the adjacent building, also owned by Thutheja, Jadhav added.
More than 14 fire tenders, a snorkel, rushed to the spot. A battery of firemen battled for over nine hours to control the raging fire. The fire was brought under control by Wednesday evening.
The factory makes garments to supply to its showrooms in Nagpur (Sadar and Sitabuldi), New Delhi and Mumbai. It even exports garments to Dubai and some parts in USA. The fire department has yet to ascertain the loss but it runs into crores of rupees. “The entire unit was destroyed in the fire. Raw material and the machinery were completely destroyed,” Jadhav said.
Thutheja blamed the unprofessional approach by firemen for extent of damage. He told TOI that when he reached the place only the warehouse was on fire and not the adjacent building housing the unit. Thutheja said could not give an estimate of the loss but pointed out that entire property was completely damaged in the fire.
