THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A surprise check conducted by the Fire and Rescue Services at major cities and towns on Tuesday revealed that the fire safety gadgets of nearly 100 commercial buildings were not in working condition.
Surprise checks were conducted in as many as 152 commercial buildings including hotels, malls, hospitals and theatres across the state. Of this, serious lapses were found at 99 buildings.
As an initial step, notices were served to the building owners to rectify the defects within a stipulated timeframe. In case of failure to comply with the directives, the local bodies and district administrations would be recommended to take stringent actions, FRS director general Tomin J Thachankary said.
The operation, code named 'Operation Agnisurakha', was initiated in the backdrop of the recent fire mishap in Mumbai. DC had also reported on the lack of sufficient fire safety measures in high-rises in the state.
The maximum number of lapses by high-rises was found in Kottayam, 17. In Kannur lapses were found on 16 buildings while the number was 12 in Alappuzha. In Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, lapses were found in six buildings each and while faulty gadgets were found in nine buildings in Kozhikode.
Improper maintenance of fire escape staircases and passages as well as fire safety gadgets were the major lapses detected. Valves of water tanks and sprinklers were found closed in many buildings, while the fire detection systems were switched off in many buildings, said Mr. Thachankary.
