Bhatkal: Fire at Usman Nagar Cremation ground, officials' negligence almost set petrol station on fire

Bhatkallys News Service/ I Zaorez Shabab Bhatkal 16 February 2017: A huge fire broke out in a Cremation Ground located at Usman Nagar Bhatkal Yesterday afternoon taking hours of hard work from the Fire-Brigade to get under control. . Shockingly, Officials made an unexplainable delay in reaching the spot after Bhatkallys.com staff contacted the emergency services number. The spot was more complicated due to 2 installed electric transformers and a petrol bunk just behind the Cremation ground. . What was more surprising was the approach of the Fire and police officials when they reached the spot, only 4 fire officials and 2 police officials reached the spot and they looked more in a fun mood upon seeing the fire and took it lightly and urged our staff to call local public with water buckets to take over the fire. The officials further claimed that the fire fighting vehicles were busy in a nearby town and hence they were unable to do anything. . A few minutes later they received call about the vehicle which was ready to leave for the spot but they didn’t have a driver to drive it to the location. It was when the fire started heading towards the Petrol Station that alerted them and the fire fighting vehicle was somehow brought to the spot. The fire made its way to the petrol station premises but was took control of before any damage was done. . Speaking to Bhatkallys.com one of the officer who was in-charge of the operation, claimed that it was the department who was responsible for the delay and negligence as there is shortage of staff in the local fire-station. Upon enquiring further, he added there is at least shortage of 11 officials in Bhatkal since past 8 years and the department is doing nothing to fill in those vacancies. . The officer also claimed that he was scheduled for night shift today, but lack of staff at the station made his higher officers call him on emergency. Upon enquiring what would have been done if it was an emergency case the officer remained silent and asked the local public to take up the issue with Govt. Officials and to stage a protest against it to avoid any such scenario. . He was later asked to stop talking to our staff when his colleagues got to know that it was a media talk. The Incident raises a lot of questions about the efficiency of our emergency services and their abilities to overcome emergency scenarios. It is high time our local organizations take up this issue with Govt and to pressurize it to come up with the solution as soon as possible. .