Fire breaks out at Boondi Potu at Tirumala

Tirumala: Fire broke out at Boondi Potu (Kitchen) adjacent to Tirumala temple on Sunday afternoon. However, there was no loss of property or injuries to anyone working at the Potu as the alert workers ensured that the gas cylinders were detached and removed to safety avoiding major mishap.

In the meanwhile, two fire tenders which arrived promptly were engaged in containing the fire. The fire tenders extinguished the fire in less than an hour. Work in the kitchen resumed after two hours. Normalcy was restored in the big kitchen where boondi required for making the delicious laddu prasadam is being prepared.

Sources said that while a worker was pouring ghee from a mug in the pan on the gas, he slipped it leading to the ghee falling on the burning oven causing fire. The soot on walls and the granite platform on which the ovens were set up aggravated the fire erupting high causing panic among the workers.

Billowing thick black smoke and the peeping flames coming out from the chimney appeared the fire was severe. As the area is the one where the pilgrim movement is heavy, good number of people gathered witnessing the leaping embers from the chimney making the fire operation difficulty.

However, Tirumala temple deputy executive officer Harindranath said the fire was a minor onep and no property loss was caused. Elucidating the incident, he said a ghee tin slipped out of the hand of a Potu worker, while he was pouring ghee into the boondi fryer-Bandli, causing cascading of fire.

The fire was put off by the fire services staff with the assistance of other technical workers within half-an-hour. There has been no injury to any one and also no loss of property, the Dy EO reiterated.

However as a result of the incident the entire Potu and its surroundings were cleaned up and the production of boondi on 20 stoves commenced after a small break thereafter, he added.