Surat: Municipal Corporation seals 36 hospitals, 120 shops for flouting fire safety norms
Thirty-six hospitals in Surat have been sealed by the Fire department of Surat Municipal Cooperation in the last 2 days for allegedly flouting fire safety norms
Thirty-six hospitals in Gujarat’s Surat have been sealed by the Fire department of Surat Municipal Cooperation in the last two days for allegedly flouting fire safety norms. Out of the total, at least 12 have been sealed in the Varachha zone itself. The closures came as a part of a recent drive by the department which aimed at checking whether hospitals in the city were equipped with fire safety equipment and whether they were adhering to the fire safety rules.
As per a report, the department carried out the 2-day long safety raids in all the seven zones of the city—Central, East A, North, South East, South West, South and West. Speaking to media reporters, Deputy Chief Fire Officer D H Makhijani revealed that in an addendum to the 36 hospitals, 120 shops have also been sealed for not following safety rules. In the aftermath of the drive, the fire department has asked all the defaulters to sign an affidavit which states that if they fail to install fire safety device, they would be liable to legal actions.
Rise in fire incidents
Fire accidents in Surat have witnessed an uptick in recent times. Earlier this week, two residents of a fire-affected building saved themselves by using a window on its fourth floor to reach an adjoining apartment, officials said. The fire broke out in the five-story residential building in Surat's Sagrampura locality around noon, they said, adding that no casualty was reported. Following the blaze in an electric meter board on the ground floor of the building, smoke spread to its upper floors, causing panic among residents.
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Published By : Riya Baibhawi
Published On: 6 March 2021 at 06:52 IST