Close shave for family as electric wires in house catch fire

MANDI AHMEDGARH: Occupants of a house on the Jandali road had a miraculous escape after an electric generator and wiring caught fire due to short circuit of cables installed by employees of a private firm undertaking strengthening of the transmission system in the town.

An employee of a private firm inspects a burnt generator at the house of a retired principal in Mandi Ahmedgarh. Tribune photo

Mahesh Sharma
Mandi Ahmedgarh, Jan 11

Occupants of a house on the Jandali road had a miraculous escape after an electric generator and wiring caught fire due to short circuit of cables installed by employees of a private firm undertaking strengthening of the transmission system in the town.

Though head of the family suffered a shock while he was trying to shift vehicles from the house, no external injury was caused to him. However, goods and fittings worth thousands were destroyed in the incident.

Had employees of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) not initiated a prompt rescue operation the loss could have much more in the surrounding units too.

Accusing the private company of deploying unskilled electricians for undertaking the technical job, owners of the house, a former school principal Pardeep Sharda demanded compensation for the losses incurred by him.

“It was a nightmare for all members of my family after everything in the house started trembling when we were preparing to sleep last night. When I came out of my bed burning wirings and fittings were falling from the roof and all of a sudden our electric generator caught fire,” said Sharda while maintaining that he suffered a massive shock when he tried to open the main gate to shift vehicles from house.

Justifying claim of the victim family the Municipal Council (MC) president, Suraaj Mohammad, said he had received complaints about alleged negligence of employees of the company. “Even in case of reinstallation of electric fittings owned by the MC some irregularities, including pilferage of tube fittings and conductors have been reported,” said Mohammad while maintaining that officials in the civic body had been advised to take up the matter with the PSPCL, Mandi Ahmedgarh.

While confirming information of the incident at residence of Pardeep Sharda, SDO Gagan Deep said the company would be asked to make good losses incurred by the consumer after receiving claim from him.

“Once we receive a formal complaint and claim from the consumer the junior engineer concerned will be deployed to assess the loss, which will be paid by the vendor,” he added.