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Journalism of Courage
PUNE, Nov 4: A 12-year-old girl, bedridden due to a prolonged illness, was charred to death when a devastating fire broke out at Kelewadi slum near Paud Phata this afternoon.
Two persons, including a fireman, suffered minor injuries during the rescue operations. Over 300 persons were rendered homeless as the fire gutted more than 40 huts. They were provided temporary shelter at Mahasaheb Mohol high school premises.
The victim was identified as Ambu Parmeshwar Sonkamble. Fire brigade officials said the girl was confined to her bed due to a prolonged illness. Her parents, who are construction labourers, would go out in search of a job everyday leaving Ambu with her pet dog. The dog was also roasted alive.
Apparently, Ambu had tried hard to move away to safety before her clothes caught fire. The rescue workers found Ambu lying at the doorstep.
The Kelewadi slum, comprising over 5,000 huts, is located along the hills near Mamasaheb Mohol high school. Most of the labourers who reside at the slum had gone out for work when the fire broke out.
The blaze was noticed around 2.25 pm when columns of smoke started bellowing from some huts. The cause of the fire could not be ascertained till late in the evening.
PMC’s chief fire officer L N Raut said the fire might have started due to a kerosene stove left on after cooking. However, some residents claimed that the blaze started after an LPG cylinder exploded in one of the huts.
The blaze spread rapidly due to the afternoon breeze and the combustible material like kerosene and garments caught fire. The LPG cylinders in some of the huts also exploded due to the heat. Several electric short circuits took place as electric appliances including TV and refrigerators caught fire, Raut said.
The central fire brigade rushed nine fire tenders and three water tankers to the spot. Fire fighting units of the Pune Cantonment Board and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation also sent one fire tender each. Two water tankers from the PMC’s water department were also pressed into service.
Lack of proper internal roads made it difficult for fire tenders to reach the huts which had turned into inferno. Finally, the central fire brigade had to use alternate routes via Sainik Vasahat.
Absence of fire-hydrants in the area also slowed down the fire-fighting operations. Firefighters were forced to fetch water from the ARAI located half a kilometre away, Raut said.
