No water, building's hose was useless: Fire official

AHMEDABAD: The fire rescue operations at the Shahibaug flat on Saturday, where a raging inferno claimed a 17-year-old, were obstructed as the building's fire safety system had reportedly been rendered useless - the hose did not spray water, claimed sources.

Pranjal Jirawala died while being treated for 80% burns she suffered in the fire that had broken out in her uncle's seventh-floor flat of Orchid Green.

While he, his wife and two children managed to escape, Pranjal could not. She was in the bathroom and had locked her bedroom door from the inside when the fire erupted. Mahipatsinh Champavat, police inspector, said, "The girl had called up her aunt and parents to inform them about the fire."

Asked about the water supply to the hose pipe, he said, "When the police reached the spot the fire brigade team was already there, carrying out rescue work. So, I am not aware if there was any problem pertaining to the hose." A fire official said on condition of anonymity that when the team reached the spot, the hose did not have water supply.

Rakesh Bhatt, an E-block resident. He said, "I was out for a walk when the fire broke out. I could see smoke billowing out of the seventh floor and immediately called up the fire department. I then ran upstairs and pulled the hose in order to start the rescue work till the fire team arrived. But unfortunately no water came out of it."

The first fire team arrived within 10 minutes of the call while the second reached after 25 minutes, said Bhatt. About the incident, Bhatt said that he got to know from people close to the family that Pranjal was in the bathroom when the fire broke out. After she came out of the bathroom, she realized she was trapped and began calling her aunt and parents for help.

"We could hear Pranjal cry for help, but we were helpless," said Bhatt. Pranjal was a Class 12 science student and was to appear for practical examination later this month. While her parents had moved to Surat, she stayed back with her uncle to complete schooling.

"Shahibaug police had called a team of experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory to ascertain the cause of the fire. We have also written to Torrent Power to assist the investigation to find out how the fire broke out," said Assistant Commissioner of Police P P Pirojia.

Prima facie, the police believe that a short circuit may have caused the fire. The residents of Orchid Green had shot videos of the horrifying accident in which the girl could be seen running to the bedroom balcony, crying for help.