Fire engulfed a three-storeyed supermarket in Perumbavoor early on Monday morning, completely gutting the ground floor.
The fire destroyed the around 5,000 sq. ft. floor of Moolens Supermarket, causing damage worth over Rs.1 crore.
The final loss amount has not yet been estimated, the Fire and Rescue Service said.
We received information about the fire at 2.45 a.m. after fire alarms of the State Bank of Travancore, located next to the supermarket, went off. Our personnel used a crowbar to break open the shutters, but could not enter the building initially because of the thick smoke and heat from the fire, said an official of the agency.
About 10 fire tenders from Perumbavoor, Aluva, Angamaly, Kaloorkad, Kothamangalam and Muvattupuzha, which were coordinated by station officer Roby Varghese battled for over two hours to douse the fire. One tender was put on standby near the bank to prevent the fire from spreading to other buildings in the vicinity.
