SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Oct 12: At least 20 families are feared trapped in multi-storey Krishna Plaza Apartment in Bank More, Matkuria Road market area under Bank more police station after a massive fire broke out in Max life insurance office on the first floor of the building on Tuesday morning.
Bank More police station officer-in-charge Randhir Kumar said that four vehicles of the fire brigade have been pressed into service for dousing the fire and checking it spreading further in the apartment building.
Officials said the fire was reportedly witnessed at around 8 am. Several families of the flats came out on the road fearing the danger of flame coming out from the first floor. A short circuit is supposed to be the reason for the fire but they would jump to any conclusion only after investigation.
A team of fire-fighting tenders and police rescued several children and women by breaking windows of the flats in the apartment.
In the six-storey apartment, commercial establishments function on the first and second floor while the rest four floors have residential flats. Bank More police and fire fighting personnel rescued several families but said that 20 families are still trapped in the apartment.
Following the fire in the Max Life Insurance office, smoke enveloped the first floor blocking the exit routes completely. A trapped resident said that fire had not reached his floor but due to heavy smoke they were unable to come out from the flat.
“After a two-hour operation, the fire was controlled but the smoke is yet to be cleared completely,” said Bank More police station officer in-charge to the media.
Police officials also said that the damage caused by the fire could only be revealed after the assessment by officers of Max Life Insurance Company.
