An early morning fire engulfs Casa Moderna, a restaurant located in the heart of the capital city. Captured by : Narayan Pissurlenkar
PANAJI
An early morning fire completely engulfed Casa Moderna, a restaurant located in the heart of the capital city. The fire was brought under control in less than two hours, after which cooling operations were initiated by the State Fire & Emergency Services.
Although the exact extent of the loss is yet to be determined, preliminary estimates indicate a minimum loss of Rs 10 lakh. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
“We received a distress call at around 6:50 am regarding a fire at Casa Moderna. Our firefighters promptly arrived at the scene by 7 am. Around two fire tenders were used to douse the flames while one was kept on a stand by,” Station Fire Officer Shripad Gawas said while speaking to The Goan.
By 8:45 am, the fire was extinguished. A short circuit is believed to be the cause of the fire but an inspection by the electricity department will ascertain this.
Gawas revealed that upon opening the shutter, they encountered thick smoke as the restaurant is located in enclosed premises with barely any ventilation. "The smoke released when we opened the shutter," he said.
Some of the restaurant workers, who were asleep on the top floor, escaped without any injuries.
The timely intervention of the fire officials played a crucial role in saving the adjacent shops, a temple, and another restaurant from the fire. More details are awaited as the concerned agencies are inquiring into the matter while the premises owner is also yet to revert to the department regarding the exact loss.
