-
8/2/2019 14th April Fire Day
1/3
14th APRILOBSERVED AS FIRE SERVICE DAY
Every Year 14th April is observed as Fire Service Day in India
as a part to pay
homage to those brave Fire Fighters, who sacrificed their live
in line to their
duty on 14th April, 1944. Industries observe this day / week as
Fire Service
day / Week and conducts Training, Drills and Rehearsals to
demonstrate the
Preparedness to combat emergencies.
We forward this case study for all to study how and what went
wrong which
lead to multiply the severity of the accident the toll of which
was paid by lives
of thousands of people.
The Ship in which accident took place named S S Fort Stikine
having capacity of
7000 Tons belonged to Ministry of War and Transport. The ship
left Birkenhead
UK on 24th February, 1944. Convey of 20 other ships with cargo
for Karachi and
Bombay was loaded. The Karachi Cargo Contained RAF Planes,
General Stores,
Explosives and Ammunitions. Bombay Cargo was 1395 Tons of
Explosives and
Ammunitions and Service Stores. The ship reached Karachi on 30
th March, 1944
where a part of Cargo was discharged, leaving void 2, 86,000 cu.
Feet in her hold.
The new Cargo loaded was cotton, timber, lubricating oil, resin,
sulphur and other
combustible material. The ship then left Karachi on 9 th April,
1944 and reached
Bombay on 9th April, 1944. No explosives or ammunition were off
loaded until the
ship has been alongside for 24 hours.
Now BY LAWS OF B.P.T [Bombay Port Trust]
A Ship carrying explosives is not allowed into docks, but under
Rule
88 of the Defence of India Rules, This By-Law is suspended in
case
where Military Officer has given a Certificate of
GRAVEEMERGENCY. Such a certificate was issued for S S Stiklite
The ship was anchored at Victoria Dock Bombay and the Memorable
Day,
throughout the morning; she was active as cargo hooks swayed a
load of
-
8/2/2019 14th April Fire Day
2/3
commodities from the S S Fort Stikine. Firemen were at Fire
Stations as usual
shining their brass to keep their fire engines shining.
On 14th April, 1944, at 14: 00 hrs.
Whips of smoke noticed from No.: II hold of the ship. Frantic
series of shortblast of whistles were heard warning of fire board.
The ship crew started pouring
musky water in the ship hold. Fire Engines from Alexander Dock
and Air Force
Squad arrived immediately and started hose streams in smoking
hold to control
fire spread. The fireman though aware of the dangerous
situation, there was no
panic. The prompt arrival of the Fire Engines seemed no reason
to think that the
fire could not be controlled. Soon it became apparent that the
firemen were
loosing ground. A call was put through to Mumbai Fire Brigade
control for
Additional appliances. At 14: 30 hrs. A large part of Fire
Service was on pliers.
Total 32 Water Jets came into action pouring gallons of water
into ship hold to
quench the fire. The Fire was still gained. There was something
preventing the
water from reaching the seat of fire. The deck head under the
firemens feet grew
hotter and hotter. The water stream played over the deck head
turned into steam.
It was now clear that the fire was out of control. Slides and
Deck became
CHERRY RED, blenching thick black and brown smoke. Flames shot
mast high
but sound never reached firemens ear.
16: 05 Hrs. ~ Ground rumbled and EXPLOSION,S S Fort Stikine Blew
Up with its gallant firemen and fire engines
disappeared from the face of earth. No. of ships destroyed
nearby. At one
stroke the key port of Bombay was taken out of war.
16: 36 Hrs. ~ SECOND EXPLOSIONS, Results????????
Explosion was heard miles away. Entire Dock upto few kms. Was in
flames. 14
other ships standing aside destroyed. 336 people burned. All
nearby/around
people and animals died. Many Fire Fighters died or diabled. The
Number of
persons so died in the Explosion will never be known and figures
are
conflicting. NFPA Handbook listed 731 dead whereas other sources
said 1500
Died/Missing and more than 3000 Injured.
Recorded Fatalities were like this
ORGANIZATION KILLED INJURED
-
8/2/2019 14th April Fire Day
3/3
Bombay Auxiliary Fire Service 42 85Bombay Fire Brigade 24
-Bombay Salvage Corps 12 02Bombay Port Trust Employees 84 Not
KnownCity Police 14 55
Ship Crews 41 123Army 15 30Air Force - 15Navy
Crew of Country Craft
07
04
160
10
Couple of months after the Disaster, 3083 people had requested
claims for
damage by Fire or Explosion to their property. 11735 had put up
Claim for
uninsured properties. 466 Uninsured people claimed as
compensation for
personal injuries.
The Compensation paid out 850 Lakhs as damage by fire/explosion.
Marine
Insurance was 150 Lakhs. Paid for uninsured a property was 300
lakhs and
personal injuries was 13 lakhs with miscellaneous policies of
4.5 lakhs.
Government of India declared this day of 14th April every year
to be
observed as Fire Service Day in recognition of the valor and
sacrifice
of the courageous FIRE FIGHTERS who laid down their lives in
Line of
their Duty.
Industries conduct Fire Fighting Training Mock Drills, Fire
Drills or Emergency
Drills every year on this day to pay homage and create awareness
and
knowledge about handling emergencies in their fellow workers
LET US BE PARTNERS IN
PREVENTING FIRES AND PROTECTING LIFE &PROPERTY
