Major fire breaks out in Aluva building

A major fire broke out in the open storage space of a sanitaryware shop and an adjacent textile unit in a building complex opposite the old private bus stand in Aluva, inflicting an estimated damage of around ₹80 lakh on Monday.

The fire erupted around 4 a.m. and it took nearly three hours before three fire tenders from Aluva and Eloor fire and rescue stations doused the fire.

A short circuit is suspected to have triggered the fire among the 40-odd PVC tanks and pipes stacked at a considerable height in the open storage space near the textile unit.

“There was an electric post right next to the space, multiple electric metres and distribution boards, and it was hard to judge the igniting point,” said K.N. Sunil, an officer part of the fire and rescue team.

The fire from the sanitaryware spread to the wooden windows of the textile unit on the first floor and spread internally.

The fire had remained undetected for almost an hour before a milk deliveryman noticed the thick black smoke.