A massive fire that broke out at a scrapyard at Killipalam in the city on Monday and spread to nearby buildings was brought under control after a three-hour long firefighting operation involving nearly 15 fire tenders.
The scrapyard was located at a densely populated area along the Bund road that led to Attukal. The fire outbreak sparked panic as it occurred only 50 m from a leading private hospital. The fire caused major damage, but no casualties were reported.
While the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, godown owner Sulfikar of Poonthura claimed that sparks that fell from an adjacent electric post had caused the blaze around 11.30 a.m. While the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services sent a unit to the spot, it turned out to be inadequate as it ran dry as the fire raged on and spread to other parts in quick time.
The scrap godown that reportedly accumulated household and workshop discards contained a wide array of inflammable items, including tar barrels, paint and engine oil containers that were not emptied, electronic goods and plastics. Frequent explosions could be heard from the premises.
While another two units were pressed into service within half-an-hour, the fire had spread to a number of coconut trees and a nearby house by then. In all, two houses and two shops in the vicinity suffered minor damage. With the outbreak becoming uncontrollable, the police rushed to evacuate residents of nearly 40 houses in the region as dense, black smoke billowed from the affected area. Power supply to the area was disconnected.
More fire tenders were rushed to the spot from various fire stations as well as the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. The fire fighters climbed to the terraces of nearby buildings and sprayed water from different sides to extinguish the fire, which was finally brought under control by 3 p.m.
Vehicular flow along the Bund road remained affected throughout the period.
General Education Minister V. Sivankutty, District Collector Navjot Khosa and City Police Commissioner G. Sparjan Kumar coordinated the efforts. Preliminary assessment estimated the loss to be around ₹8 lakh.
Corpn. orders probe
Mayor Arya Rajendran, who took stock of the situation, ordered an inquiry to check if the scrap shops and godowns across the city possessed the requisite licence as well as fire safety systems. Action would be taken against those who operated such outlets in violation of the norms, she said.
