Fire makes rides unsafe on houseboats

ALAPPUZHA: The security lapses in houseboats are posing a threat to the tourists who come from various places for spending vacation in the Punnamada Lake.The recent incidents of fire in the houseboats raise serious questions about the safety of the tourists travelling in it. On Friday night, a houseboat which was anchored on a kayal bund at Kainakary caught fire. The passengers and workers of a Kerala State Water Transport Department (SWTD) boat, which was going to Kottayan, noticed the fire and doused it. Two tourists from Japan and three crew members were inside the boat at that time. However, they did not notice the fire. The passengers in the SWTD boat said they saw the fire in the portion where the kitchen was located.Last week, two fire incidents had happened in the Punnamada Lake. A houseboat which was anchored at the finishing point caught fire, burning down the kitchen and a room. Two cooking gas cylinders were found outside the boat after the incident.The Fire and Rescue Service personnel from Alappuzha and Cherthala reached the spot and doused the fire. The boats which were anchored near the one which caught fire was immediately removed, averting a major tragedy. The next day, another houseboat anchored in the lake caught fire. However, the workers of the boat doused it.“LPG is used for cooking food in most of the houseboats. Usually, the kitchen will be located on the rear. It may be the carelessness of the cook that leads to fire accidents,” said Mathew of Kainakary. Fire extinguishers are fixed in all the boats, but most of those travelling in the boat do not know to operate it in case a fire breaks out. They are fixed just to get the licence and approval from the Fire and Rescue Services Department.