News

Major fire breaks out in 240 MW URI-II project in Kashmir

by IBNS 20 Nov 2014, 11:49 am

Srinagar, Nov 20 (IBNS): A major fire engulfed the 240 MW power project, URI-II, early on Thursday morning and reportedly gutted one side of the facility, sources told IBNS.

It was learnt that the fire broke out at one side of the project and ravaged the underground portions of the NHPC.

“We are not being allowed to enter into the underground site due to heavy smoke and gases. We have called fire tenders immediately after the incident but they also failed to do so because of heavy fire,” a senior official of NHPC told IBNS.

Meanwhile senior police officer of the area said that the fire would be doused properly if the fire fighters can use masks to enter into the area as 2-km underground tunnels are full of smoke.

“We are trying our level best to control the fire,” a police officer said.

The 240 megawatts hydro power project built on Jhelum River and owned by NHPC was inaugurated on July 4 this year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)