PNS|Vijayawada
More than 400 two-wheelers, including electric vehicles, were destroyed in a major fire that broke out in a showroom godown in the city early on Thursday morning. The fire engulfed the showroom around 5 a.m. and raged for nearly two hours.
Initial assessment by both the police and fire officials suggests that an electric short circuit could have been the reason behind the fire. Numerous electric two-wheelers caught in the blaze were destroyed. The security personnel on site promptly alerted the local fire station upon noticing the fire in the showroom’s godown. The rapid spread of the fire was attributed to the presence of a considerable number of electric vehicles and gasoline-powered two-wheelers within the godown.
The fire broke out in the two-wheeler showroom situated in KP Nagar, Vijayawada, which serves as the central office (showroom) for the city and Krishna district. The godown stored a substantial number of two-wheelers, including electric bikes. Upon learning of the major fire incident, both fire and police department officials rushed to the scene, successfully containing the blaze using five fire tenders.
Dealer of the showroom, Sunkara Bhagath Singh, who resides on ITI Road, was away in Dubai at the time. He had left for Dubai on August 21 and was expected to return on August 25.
According to information from the fire department, the vicinity also houses two-wheeler showrooms, godowns, and service centres. The fire initially ignited on the godown’s first floor, spread, rapidly consuming the entire showroom. Firefighters highlighted that the
godown’s prefabricated construction accelerated the spread of the fire throughout the building. While the showroom management estimates losses of around Rs 15 crore, the actual extent of damage is yet to be determined.
Vijayawada Central Zone ACP P. Bhakara Rao, Patamata Inspector Kasi Viswanath, and District Fire Officer Sankara Rao arrived at the scene immediately. The Vijayawada Police have initiated an investigation to uncover any additional factors contributing to the accident. A formal complaint has been registered by the showroom manager.
Vijayawada Central Zone ACP P Bhaksara Rao said that the fire could have been caused during the unloading of new vehicles from a truck that had arrived from Chennai. The deployment of five fire engines proved instrumental in preventing further damage.
District Fire Officer Sankara Rao stated that his department is working to determine the root cause of the accident. Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries reported. Presently, the situation is under control, with the fire successfully extinguished.
A joint inspection involving Vijayawada Police, Electrical, Fire, and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) officials is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the fire incident.
