Bangalore: Did the city civic body, Bruhat
Bangalore Mahanagara Palike not know of the violations is a
question raised by a survivor of the fire mishap in Carlton
Towers here last month, which claimed nine lives and left over
40 injured.
"Did BBMP not know of the violations. Did it (BBMP) not
know that the lift and fire alarm system in the building
never worked?" asked Nitin Dubey at a media interaction at
Manipal Hospital where fire mishap victims are being treated.
An employee of a real estate firm, located on the seventh
floor, the worst-affected, Nitin, who was discharged today,
said it is for the government to ensure that emergency drills
are conducted in high-rise buildings once every six months.
"However, it is also necessary for people like us to take the
drills seriously and participate in it. It has to be a
collective effort", he said.
"I have been working in Carlton Towers complex for the
past three years and have not seen any emergency drill taking
place", Nitin, in his thirties, said.
For Shivaraj, around the same age as Nitin, who had come to
visit a friend in the complex, said "I could see smoke coming
from everywhere, women fainting and felt utterly helpless".
Shivaraj said he somehow reached the emergency exit, with
the light of a small torch, only to find it locked. "I broke it
open and was able to pull out some people".
A lecturer in Christ College, Shivaraj broke down saying
none should ever face such a situation. It is scary with
smoke filling, people shouting and jostling and one even
jumping out. In my life I`ve never seen a person jumping out
of any building. I hardly remember anything else."
Hospital sources said there are 12 inpatients, of whom three
are in ICU on ventilator support.
PTI
