Around 40 houses and shacks were damaged in a fire at Thiruma Nagar near Karamadai in Coimbatore district on Monday. No resident suffered burns in the fire as they moved out of their houses and shacks as the fire started to spread.
The police said that the fire spread from an adjacent land with dry grasses and ruled out the involvement of anyone in the incident.
According to the police, the fire was reported around 2.30 p.m. After being alerted by the residents, fire brigades from Mettupalayam, Annur and Periyanaickenpalayam rushed to the spot. They, with the support of three fire tenders, doused the flames completely by 5.45 p.m.
Meanwhile, tension prevailed in Thiruma Nagar after leakage of ammonia was reported from a defunct chips manufacturing company. People who reside close to the company were evacuated. A police team was deployed to control the crowd. Efforts were underway to arrest the leakage.
Sources from the police said that legal disputes have been going on between some sections of the residents at Thiruma Nagar. Several families had settled at the place by erecting shacks, claiming that it was a Panchami land, which led to the dispute, they added.
