Bantwal: Fire accident at Punacha - loss put at Rs one crore

Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, May 3: In a fire accident which occurred at Punacha in the taluk in the early hours of Thursday May 2, a telephone exchange and three other business establishments suffered heavy losses.

After midnight, the watchman of the telephone exchange, Timmanna, reportedly heard some noise from inside the building, and went out to see what it was. He saw flames inside the building, and conveyed the information to the higher officials.

Due to the accidental fire which started in the telephone exchange, equipments, batteries, and other things worth about Rs 75 lac were gutted. The telephone exchange functions in a building named 'Honest', which is owned by U T Moosa Kunhi. A fancy shop, 'Lisa Fancy', in this building, owned by Thomas D’Souza, also caught fire. The owner has estimated the loss to be around two lac rupees.

After the fire spread to a unit engaged in making of eatables, "Anushree Home Products and Caterers', owned by Venkataramana Nayak and standing by the side of the above building, a loss of Rs 1.5 lac was inflicted on the unit. 

Shortly thereafter, two LPG cylinders inside this unit burst, after which gas cylinders from the adjacent hotel, Jalaliyya Hotel, which too suffered some loss due to fire, were shifted outside as a measure of precaution.

It is said that the fire, which started raging since 1.30 am on Thursday, was started due to short circuit. The fire brigade stationed at Puttur, which was alerted, helped to extinguish the flames with support of locals, by 3.30 am.