Hyderabad: Fire at an illegal chemical godown in Jeedimetla industrial area briefly created panic among residents as the chemical drums began exploding. Jeedimetla fire station officer V. Subhash Reddy said that godown of Apollo Chemical located across 150-sq. yd area caught fire at around 3.30 am. The fire department was alerted at 4 am and four fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The fire was brought under control by 9.30 am.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the godown caught fire due to a chemical reaction. “The godown had about 70 drums of solvents and other chemicals,” Mr. Reddy said. Police said that godown owner Anand Jain had fled and his mobile phone was switched off. Police said the godown did not have a licence. Ms Narsamma, a local, said the sound of exploding drums scared them. “Till evening there was thick smoke.”
