It has been seven long years since the fire broke out at Carlton Towers in Bengaluru, but the images of the flames and the death of nine people still haunts the city.
Carlton Towers now bears no signs of the horrific incident. The seven-storey building, located on Old Airport Road, has been renovated since and is now fully open for business.
Horror unfolded on February 23, 2010, when a fire broke out at the building, with thick, black smoke had engulfing it. Panic and mayhem prevailed as three people jumped off the building and lost their lives, while six others either succumbed to burns or died of asphyxiation.
Members of Carlton Towers Owners Association said that strict security measures have been put in place this time. Addressing the media on Monday, they announced that Carlton Towers will reopen for business.
Some business establishments had already began functioning in 2016. The association members said that they have received the clearance from the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The Chief Electrical Inspector of the same department had permitted reconnection of the power supply and have received their occupation certificate from Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.
Some of the measures taken to maintain safety include increasing the width of the main gate, placing fire-fighting systems and better signages for the public. Of the 160 commercial units, most of them are full, Giriraj Sadashiva, President of the association, told media persons.
“The size of all the three gates to the building are six meters wide to allow fire fighters to enter with ease in case of emergencies. The basement is dedicated only for car parking. The ground floor is slotted for retail business. Although only one lift was partially damaged in the fire, all the five lifts have been replaced with the latest technology. The entire electrical work inside the building has been replaced with new cables, panels and bus bar systems,” said Rekha Hamilton, Former President of the Carlton Towers Owners Association Committee.
Of the 160 units belonging to 90 owners, 20 units have started commercial operations.
“The committee has ensured that the lift lobbies are more than two-and-a-half times the minimum requirement prescribed by the National Building Code and is not used as a thoroughfare. The electrical and other ducts have been sealed at alternate floor levels to prevent possible passage of smoke and fire to the nest level,” Sadashiva added.
The committee says the building was completely redone on the inside, with a cost of approximately Rs 5 crore.