CM Orders CB CID Inquiry On Begumpet Airport Fire

A fire incident of mammoth proportions took place at Begumpet airport here in Hyderabad last night at around 11 PM. Reportedly, 4 Cesna airplanes, and a government helicopter which is used by the CM, were completely destroyed, along with the hangar these planes were parked in, and a nearby maintainance centre. No casualties have been reported.

This particulat hangar on Bowenpally road was used to park private and govt. aircrafts. Also, around 150 aviation-related courses had there training programmes here.

According to fire officers who are on site, still putting off cinders 12 hours after the incident, the fire alarm was sounded at 11:30 PM, post which 4 fire engines had been dispatched to the site of the fire. However, flames that had sparked of at the maintanance shed grew into a conflagration within a matter of minutes, and had soon consumed the entire hangar.

The planes parked in the hangar fed the flames further, as the fuel in their engines had caught fire, leading to loud explosions that sent residents in the nearby areas into a panic, as the fire could been seen kilometres away from the site of incident.

Another 6 fire engines had to be sent in. It took all 10 fire engines about 4 hours just to bring the fire under control, and to stop it from spreading to the other hangars and official buildings in the vicinity. As of 10 AM, the were still dousing the smoldering remains of the fire, sifting through the debris to ensure that no little flickers are left to flare back into flames.

Although the fire brigade managed to put out the conflagration, it could not salvage any property, and the damage is said to be massive, with losses estimated to be about Rs. 150 crores.

The CM has ordered a CB CID inquiry into the incident to ascertain what sparked it off. Sources say that causes could've been a short circuit, or negligence by technicians working on the aircrafts.