Protests in India Over Inadequate Fire Fighting Equipment by Jon Butt

A ministerial team visiting the scene of a devastating fire were greeted by angry protesters in the town of Ukhrul in India this week. The protesters were demonstrating about the lack of fire fighting equipment, following a fire in a bazaar there which has more or less destroyed the commercial centre of the town.

The fire, which broke out in a tea shop, went on to severely damage 55 shops and 53 residential buildings in the Wino Bazaar, as well as some buildings forming part of the Education Department. The fire spread very rapidly, assisted by strong winds.

The damage will take many thousands of rupees to repair although the final damage total has not yet been calculated. Communications have been disrupted locally because of damage sustained to mobile phone towers. Amazingly, there were no reports of serious injury.

The protesters were angry that only one fire crew had been available to fight the fire, which they did with help from the Assam Rifles and local law enforcement. Locals reported that the fire crew took some time to arrive & that the water tank was half empty. This meant that the fire crew had to leave the scene in order to refill the tank which wasted valuable fire fighting time.

It took some four hours to bring the blaze under control. Two other fire crews were called for from the capital city of Imphal, but the fire had been brought under control by the time they got there.

The ministerial team had arrived with relief supplies for victims of the fire, including rice, kerosene, oil, salt and blankets. They were prevented from distributing the supplies immediately because of the protest about the lack of fire fighting equipment. They did however, manage to hand the supplies over to the Deputy Commissioner eventually, so that they could be passed on to the people who had been made homeless.

A public meeting took place between local people & the visiting ministerial team during which demands were made for fire fighting equipment to be improved & upgraded at the local fire station. Local sources are speculating as to whether the fire was started deliberately. The source of the fire was thought to be a local tea hotel, the owner of which has since gone missing.

400 of the residents who lost their homes as a result of the fire are reportedly still living in makeshift camps with tents, cooking facilities & generators being provided by the Assam rifles.

Information on fire fighting equipment and fire extinguishers for home or commercial use

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