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Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: A fire broke out early Tuesday morning in a bedroom of a residential flat in Subhash Building, Chaudi, Canacona, after an air-cooler caught fire, causing extensive damage and losses exceeding Rs. 2 lakh.
The blaze, which started around 6:30 a.m., quickly filled the flat and neighboring units with smoke. Three women—a girl alone at home and a mother-daughter duo in the adjacent flat—were rescued by a neighboring resident before the Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) arrived. Residents also removed gas cylinders from the kitchens, preventing a potential disaster.
The fire destroyed clothes in cupboards and even melted some gold ornaments, causing significant financial loss to flat owner Gerald Fernandes. Other residents have appealed to the government for compensation.
F&ES personnel, delayed in reaching the site due to the remote location of the Chapoli fire station, controlled the blaze after two trips, as smoke reignited from some burning books. Local councillor Ramakant Naik Gaonkar warned that Canacona’s growing population and market demand more fire safety resources, including additional fire tenders, to prevent future disasters.
