: Ten temporary shops set up opposite the Specialists Hospital near Ernakulam North railway station were completely gutted in a fire that broke out in the wee hours of Thursday.
The Gandhi Nagar fire station received a call at 2.10 a.m. reporting the fire. Seven fire-fighting vehicles from Gandhi Nagar, Club Road, and Thrikkakara fire stations fought the blaze for about three hours to bring it under control. The stores and most of the goods inside were destroyed in the fire.
‘Deliberate attempt’
Officials suspect that the fire may have been started deliberately to destroy the sheds.
“The building did not have electricity connection. There was no oil or any other fuels stored inside. The area around the stores also did not have any waste dumps or open area from where fire could have spread to the sheds,” said an official.
The stores sold second-hand spare parts of vehicles and other goods. They were earlier situated beneath the North railway overbridge and had been relocated to the spot to facilitate work on the bridge. Fire and Rescue Service Personnel said that the temporary stores all had walls and ceilings of tin sheets with a shutter to close the store at night.
