Garhwal Post Bureau
RUDRAPUR (US Nagar), 6 Jun: Panic gripped the police lines premises in Rudrapur, district headquarters of Udham Singh Nagar Saturday, when a sudden fire broke out among seized and abandoned motorcycles parked in the compound. Within moments, the blaze spread rapidly, engulfing one vehicle after another and a thick black smoke rising into the sky was soon visible from a distance. The police personnel and recruit constables undergoing training immediately rushed to the spot and began efforts to control the flames. The fire brigade was informed and its team reached promptly, bringing the situation under control after nearly half an hour of strenuous effort.
The incident occurred around 1.30 pm Saturday afternoon when a heap of seized and abandoned motorcycles caught fire. Initially a few vehicles were affected, but the flames soon spread to others parked nearby. The officers and staff present in the premises ran towards the site as the blaze intensified, creating chaos for some time. The recruits carried buckets of water and used locally available firefighting equipment to prevent the fire from spreading further.
On receiving the alert, two fire tenders were dispatched to the police line. Chief Fire Officer Ishan Kataria himself reached the spot and as a precaution, called in three additional fire tenders from nearby areas. With combined efforts of firemen and police personnel, the blaze was completely doused after about thirty minutes.
Preliminary estimates suggest that nearly 35 to 40 seized and abandoned motorcycles were gutted in the incident. The exact extent of damage is being assessed. The officials claim that the cause of the fire is under investigation, with possibilities such as short circuit, excessive heat or other reasons being examined.
Police and Fire Department teams are jointly probing the matter. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Timely action prevented a major disaster and saved other vehicles and adjoining areas from being affected.
