The incidence of fire accidents has become alarmingly common and far more deadly. They strike anywhere anytime – houses/ schools/ offices/ hospitals/hotels etc. Improper initial structural planning and everyday negligence turn a single spark into a blazing death trap. But this death trap isn’t fate - it is Preventable. The main tragedy after the onset of the fire is that people just can’t find a way to escape from the burning high rise buildings.
Narrow staircases and corridors cluttered with junk like empty cardboard cartons, bicycles, old furniture, etc. create panic and stampede when residents try to rush out for safety. The Fire Exit Doors are few in number and also often not easily approachable, being obstructed by junk in front of them. In spite of all the difficulty, when the residents manage to reach the fire exit doors, they just do not open because of rust or lack of maintenance. Fire Extinguishers & Sprinklers are generally not functional. Fire Drills are not organized regularly to educate residents to deal with such panic situations.
Smoke Kills more than the actual flames of fire. No Smoke Escape Provisions convert the space into toxic gas chambers. The number of deaths due to choking is much more than those due to burns. The Problem Of Escape when trapped in fire has been ignored for too long. It demands more attention and should be tackled with urgency before another mishap occurs.