A pre-dawn fire on Monday gutted three makeshift tyre and vehicle repair garages under Haidernagar police station limits in Palamu district, destroying assets but causing no casualties. The incident occurred around 3 am, and a patrol team from Haidernagar police station spotted the fire and immediately alerted fire services.
Fire Response and Damage Assessment
Fire officer in-charge of Hussainabad, Ashok Singh, confirmed that two autorickshaws and an equal number of motorbikes were charred in the blaze. "Our team found a half-empty LPG cylinder at the site. However, it was not affected by the flames and was safely removed," he said. The fire services quickly extinguished the fire, preventing it from spreading to nearby structures.
Investigation Underway
Haidernagar police station in-charge T Mannan stated that a patrol team was the first to notice the fire around 3 am and promptly alerted the fire department. SDPO Hussainabad, Divyansh Shukla, said, "Police are investigating to ascertain the exact cause." Authorities are examining all possibilities, including electrical faults and negligence.
Allegations of Illegal Operations
Sources alleged that the garages were operating illegally on railway land with unauthorized power connections. This raises questions about compliance with safety regulations. Executive engineer Santosh Kumar expressed doubt over electrical sparks at that hour, noting that such incidents are rare during non-peak load periods. "It is unusual for an electrical short circuit to occur in the early morning when power consumption is low," he remarked.
Police are also verifying the ownership and legal status of the garages. Further investigations are ongoing to determine if any criminal negligence was involved.
