Kollam drug warehouse fire: move to close investigation stating bleaching powder caught fire

KOLLAM: Plans to settle the case of fire at Kerala Medical Services Corporation's Kollam warehouse that happened on Wednesday saying it was the bleaching powder that caught fire. Locals claim that the incident was sabotage, but District Fire Officer and Kollam East SI say there is no evidence for it.

The local residents say that a stock check was conducted in the days immediately before the fire. Two days before the incident, the locals had come with a complaint under the leadership of the councilor against the storage of bleaching powder in large quantities. They were sent back saying that stock checking was going on. Actual stock checking is done in March. Local residents alleged that the fire was set to cover up discrepancies in the stock.

The fire broke out around 8:30 pm. The security personnel told the locals that the bleaching powder got wet and caught fire. The next day, the same employee told the media that the bleaching powder had been struck by lightning. It is argued that there is no financial loss to KMSCL as the medicines are insured.

Damage

• Cost of burnt medicine - ₹ 7.18 crore
• Cost of office equipment – ​​₹ 82 lakh
• Burnt two-wheelers - 2

30000 kg bleaching powder stored without safety

• In the building with an area of ​​15,000 square feet, 30,000 kg of bleaching powder was stored in an area where only roofing was present.
• The fire force said that the bleaching powder may have gotten wet due to the night rain, struck by lightning, or may have caught fire due to a chemical change.
• Kerala Medical Services Corporation is waiting for the chemical test results
• KSEB and Electrical Inspectorate had stated that the cause was not short circuit.

No NOC of Fire Force

The warehouse in the rented building did not have the NOC of Fire Force. Despite working in the same building for 15 years, fire safety systems were not prepared.

Mystery in fire in Med. Services warehouses: VD Satheesan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan said that there is mystery in the fire in the Medical Services Corporation godowns. Fire broke out in Thiruvananthapuram after Kollam, while the Lokayukta was investigating the corruption in the procurement of Covid-19 medicines. The preliminary information is that materials including medicines and medical supplies bought during the covid period were burnt. The evidence in the scam cases worth Rs 1032 crore where the then health minister and officials were accused, was destroyed. The vigilance investigation against the former MD was stopped because the higher-ups would get caught. It is not believable that the fire started from bleaching powder.

There is a team for corruption in the corporation. Being a center of corruption, MDs change frequently. A fire broke out in the secretariat when central agencies arrived. A fire broke out in the Industries Minister's office while the investigation related to the camera scam was going on. Satheesan also accused that there is a habit of setting fire in the concerned places when there is an allegation.