Fire mishap in Shaikpet: HYDRAA chief calls for AI tech to alert fire safety teams instantly
Ranganath inspected the Dukes building in Shaikpet where a major fire broke out at a fertility centre on Friday morning
By Sistla Dakshina Murthy Published on 17 Jan 2025 6:31 PM IST
HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath inspected the fire-affected building at Shaikpet
Hyderabad: HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath asked officials to develop technology that will alert HYDRAA DRF about fire mishaps in the city immediately. He said creating such a technology, especially with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), will help save lives and reduce property damage.
Ranganath inspected the Dukes building in Shaikpet where a major fire broke out at a fertility centre on Friday morning.
The fire started inside the building’s second-floor fertility centre which quickly spread to a coaching centre. The intensity of the fire was highest on the second and third floors. Firefighters from different stations rushed to the spot and doused the flames.
Fortunately, no casualties were reported. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
Fire safety teams managed to control the spread of fire
Upon receiving information about the fire, Ranganath said he rushed to the spot to meet with the HYDRAA DRF and fire safety teams. The officials informed Ranganath that the fire brigade along with the HYDRAA Disaster Response Force reached the spot as soon as they came to know about the fire. They managed to confine the fire to the second floor, they said.
During his visit, the HYDRAA commissioner noticed that the entire second floor, where Akash Institute was functioning, was burnt completely.
Need for an early warning system
The teams who accompanied the commissioner during his visit told him that the smoke spread throughout the building, including the two-storey cellar and the upper four floors. The Akash training centre on the second floor was damaged. The commissioner ordered the examination of CCTV footage to determine the cause of the fire.
“A major mishap was averted as the incident took place around 5 am and there were no students on the premises. Building owners have been advised to set up an early warning system in the event of a fire,” he said.
“If there is a system of fire alarms that directly alert the DRF and fire departments as soon as the fire happens, accidents can be reduced greatly. In the incident that took place on Friday, DRF and fire personnel responded immediately and reduced the damage to some extent,” the HYDRAA commissioner said.
