Three-story building collapses as fire rages in Hyderabad plastic factory

Hyderabad, Nov 27 A massive fire that broke at a plastic bag manufacturing company at Jeedimetla industrial area here on Tuesday continued blazing for more than 24 hours, resulting in the collapse of the three-story building.

Ten fire tenders were continuing their efforts to completely douse the fire. The surroundings were still enveloped by huge smoke billowing out from the manufacturing unit which made the task of firefighting personnel difficult.

The fire broke out at SSV Fab Industries in the Jeedimetla industrial area of Medchal Malkajgiri district around 12 noon on Tuesday. The fire rapidly spread and engulfed the entire premises.

There was no loss of life in the incident as all 60 workers quickly managed to vacate the premises.

On receipt of the information, fire tenders from various parts of Jeedimetla and other nearby areas reached the spot and started a fire-fighting operation. They took steps to prevent the spread of the fire into neighbouring establishments.

Oil drums stored in the premises exacerbated the flames, making the fire-fighting task challenging.

Imported machinery and the material stored for manufacturing bags were completely gutted in the fire. Property worth several crores of rupees was destroyed in the accident.

Authorities suspect that the failure of the company to take necessary precautions and store more material than the building’s capacity led to the disaster. An electric short-circuit is believed to have led to the fire.

The company was manufacturing up to 4 lakh bags daily for domestic and international clients, catering to sectors like sugar, rice, food grains, cement, and fertilizers.

Meanwhile, two more fire incidents were reported in Hyderabad on Wednesday. In the first incident, a huge fire broke out in a house in Ramanthapur’s Vivek Nagar in the wee hours of the day.

A battery bike is suspected to have exploded, resulting in the fire. Seven other two-wheelers parked in the house were also damaged.

Fire services personnel rushed to the spot and doused the flames. Police have registered a case and took up the investigation.

In another incident, a fire broke out in a flat on the ninth floor of an apartment building in Poppalaguda of Manikonda area. The incident caused panic among residents, who ran out for safety.

Fire tenders rushed to the spot and doused the fire. According to police, three days ago a housewarming ceremony was held in a flat. An earthen lamp lit on the occasion, fell down on Wednesday, triggering the fire.