Srisailam power plant fire: CISF, FSTI personnel played vital role in rescue operations

New Delhi: In a major fire incident that broke out in the Srisailam hydroelectric power plant, CISF officers, and personnel of FSTI, Hyderabad played a vital role in rescue operations. The fire incident that took place on the late-night of August 20 has claimed nine lives, most of them engineers, injuring three others seriously, according to officials.

Talking about the exemplary performance of CISF officials during the rescue operation, an official statement has been released. 

It said that "the Director, CISF NISA Hyderabad was apprised of the matter in the morning of 21st August 2020 at around 8 am by the Director-General of Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services, Hyderabad and was requested for the deployment of our rescue team."

On the direction of Rajesh Ranjan, DG, CISF, a disaster response, and rescue team (Fire Wing and Disaster management Cell) comprising Commandant/Fire Shri Siddharth Raha, Asstt. Commandant Sachin Ingole and 37 other personnel (Total-39) rushed to Srisailam at extremely short notice. 

Srisailam is 245 km from NISA, Hyderabad and it takes 5 hrs and 30 mins to reach the site. The CISF team reached the incident site at around 1345 hrs and provided the first comprehensive response in the incident.

After reaching the spot, the CISF team learnt that tunnel is of four floors with the fourth floor being at the ground level and the remaining three floors are below the ground level. 

"The electrical panels on the fourth floor and generators on the second and third floor were involved in the fire. As the only entry to the tunnel is through the generators and electrical panels, there were no survivors due to lack of ventilation," it said.

The CISF rescue team was able to retrieve most of the bodies which were lying in the difficult lower part of the dam after 5 hours of continuous operation, it added.

The Srisailam Left Bank Hydel Power Station (SLBHP), about 200 km from Hyderabad, is on the Telangana side of the Srisailam reservoir on Krishna river--a joint irrigation project between the two Telugu states. The plant is located 125 meters under the ground in a long tunnel which has only one entry and exit point.

Expressing grief over the tragedy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Fire at the Srisailam hydroelectric plant is deeply unfortunate." "My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those injured recover at the earliest," he said.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao ordered an inquiry by the state CID. Rao announced Rs 50 lakh ex gratia to Deputy Engineer Srinivas Goud's family and Rs 25 lakh each to the kin of other victims. 

CM Rao also announced one job each to the families of the deceased, besides other departmental benefits, an official release said.