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ShareMumbai: Timely action by police officials from Mira Road police station saved residents of Sarvodaya Nagar society on Sunday. A fire erupted after a Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) pipeline developed leakage. According to the locals, the incident occurred at 3 am. The leakage caused in the connection on the ground floor apartment caused fire. Due to pressure, the flames reached to a height of 20 metres. But the residents of the building were fast asleep and didn't have a clue about the blaze.
Enter Prashant Langi, a sub inspector at the Mira Road police station. Langi's presence of mind saved the day for residents. To awaken the residents, police resorted to deliberate stone-pelting. Later fire brigade officials extinguished the fire in just an hour. Langi's background in the Indian Navy helped him during the crisis. "I know the power of gaseous fuel. I have seen a three-storied building collapse in Vishakhapatanam in 1998, when a gas tanker exploded," said Prashant Langi.
He added, "I knew a single blast could have turned both wings of Sarvodaya Nagar Apartments into debris and many would have lost their lives. So I decided not to enter, instead I ordered people to pelt stones from a safe distance to awaken residents."
Sub inspector Prashant Langi was patrolling on Sunday night. Around 2.30 am, he was near Golden Nest chowky with three constables. Suddenly he heard a loud explosion and immediately saw 20 metre-high flames from Sarvodaya Nagar which is opposite the police chowky. "I went to the complex and came to know that a gas pipeline had ruptured. I called the fire brigade, police officials and MGL staff, since it is their job to extinguish the fire," added Langi.
The stones roused residents from their stupor. "I asked residents to switch off gas valves inside their houses and come down immediately. Everyone followed my orders and the building was vacated in 10 minutes."
Langi joined the Indian Navy in 1990 as a petty officer. After completion of 15 years, he opted out of commission in 2004. He cleared the Maharashtra Public Service
Commission (MPSC) in 2007. "During my stint in the navy I obtained knowledge about different types of fires caused by fuel. We conducted drills to extinguish blazes," informed Langi.
