No fire certificate since 1998 for gutted air cargo terminal
January 24, 2012
The cargo terminal at Indira Gandhi International Airport, which was gutted by fire a fortnight ago, had not had a clearance certificate from the fire department since 1998, investigations have revealed.
About 40 airlines offices were gutted in the fire which broke out around 2am on 6 January.
“In a written communication to the police, we have informed them that the building did not have enough fire-fighting equipment and that the airport had not obtained a no-objection certificate from the department since 1998,” TS Sharma, divisional officer (fire prevention) told local reporters.
The investigation into the incident revealed that the fire spread from the office of Thai Airways, due to an electrical short circuit.
“An official in the office at the time was trapped and broke the window to get out. After he got out, the official informed the guard, but they took nearly half an hour to call the fire department for help. In the meantime, the guards were trying to douse the flames on their own,” said a police officer.
Police said they will now serve a “show cause” notice to Delhi International Airport, alleging negligence.
A fire department official said airport officials had previously been informed that there were no sprinklers or emergency routes, and no fire hydrant wells in the vicinity.
No casualties were reported as the incident happened when most of the offices were closed. Some important documents, however, were destroyed, said a spokesman.
Courtesy of IFW
