CHENNAI: A fire broke out in the backyard generator facility of a BPO company in Velachery on Thursday and it was doused in 2 hours.According to police, the fire broke out at 11.40 am and by noon the first fire tender from Raj Bhavan reached the complex — Sutherland Global Services — close to Vijaya Nagar bus terminus. Soon, four more fire tenders from Guindy and Tiruvanmiyur and six water tankers arrived to put out the fire that leapt 30 feet. Totally, there were 30 fire fighters. Thick smoke enveloped the area and the soot was noticed 4 km away. The fire broke out in the firm’s backyard where three high-capacity diesel-run generators and a transformer [not an EB structure] were situated.When an employee tried to turn on a generator, it is reported to have sparked off the fire following a short circuit. Soon, about 150 litres of diesel in the generator caught fire and it spread rapidly. Residents of nearby apartments were alarmed when the smoke spread swiftly. However, the BPO employees were evacuated safely.Although all generators were gutted, there was no loss of life. A major diesel storage facility near the spot that caught fire had about 10,000 litres of diesel. “Had it caught fire, there could have been an explosion,” an official said. According to sources, the building reportedly did not have a valid fire licence and had violated norms to ensure fire safety. There was no adequate space in the ‘set back area’ in the complex. “There should be at least 7 meters space. This [set back] is essential for fire tenders to quickly manoeuvre and land on vantage positions,” the official said. A police probe is on.
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