Guj: 4 Firemen Hurt, Gohil Demands Compensation

Four fire personnel sustained serious injuries after a gas cylinder exploded while they were attempting to extinguish a fire in a hut near a garden in Sector 4 of Gandhinagar on Friday night.

Expressing concern over the incident, Gujarat Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil said, “I am concerned to hear that fire brigade personnel working at a fire-affected site in Sector 4 of Gandhinagar were severely injured due to an explosion. According to the information I received, there is a vacancy in the fire brigade officer positions in Gandhinagar, the equipment is insufficient, and lower-level staff are being put at risk.”

“I urge Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to please ensure that the injured personnel receive excellent treatment, provide adequate compensation, ensure the safety of fire brigade workers, and recruit officers to fill the vacant positions.”

According to officials, the fire brigade received a call regarding the fire from a passer-by named Pradeep. Acting swiftly, the team responded to the alert and reached the location near the public toilet, where the hut was found engulfed in flames.

Chief Fire Officer (in charge) Rajesh Patel stated: “Firefighters began setting up hoses from the tanker while others proceeded towards the toilet area. During this operation, a gas cylinder inside the hut suddenly exploded.”

The explosion resulted in severe burn injuries to four fire personnel: Mahavir Singh Chauhan, Ranjit Thakor, Vipul Rabari, and Bhupendra Patel.

The injured were immediately rushed to Civil Hospital. Of them, Mahavir Singh, Ranjit, and Vipul were found to have suffered burns covering approximately 75 percent of their bodies. They were later shifted to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital for specialised treatment. Bhupendra Patel, who sustained burns to his hand, was admitted to the local Civil Hospital.

Initial investigations suggest that Hemant, who manages the accessible toilet near the hut, was not present at the time of the incident. Authorities suspect the explosion may have been caused by either a lit lamp or a short circuit.

Speaking to Benefit News, Shaktisinh Gohil elaborated further: “People in the fire department itself told me about the workforce—how many positions are filled and how many remain vacant, and for how long. I spoke with the hospital staff as well and urged them to provide all necessary medical assistance.”

Criticizing the ruling party, Gohil alleged, “Those low-level employees told me this reality. The BJP-ruled state government is compromising on safety precautions. They are spending money on avoidable expenses rather than on essential matters. Because of this negligence, such incidents occur and poor people have to suffer. I raised similar concerns in Parliament, such as the Takshashila Arcade fire incident in Surat, where 22 students tragically died.”

Responding to these claims, CFO Patel refuted the allegations. “The GSSSB (Gujarat Subordinate Services Selection Board) examination has already been conducted. Of those selected, only the oral interview stage remains. The fire-cum-driver vacancy number in Gandhinagar currently stands at 138,” he told Benefit News. 

“The reports suggesting that fire officers are not receiving adequate training are absolutely incorrect. We underwent six months of training in Nagpur. Furthermore, we possess better and sufficient equipment,” he clarified.

 

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