One of the busiest restaurants in the town was reduced to ashes in a major mid-day blaze on Friday.
Noor Jehan Open Grill, restaurant functioning on the Stadium Bypass Road here, was gutted in the fire that lasted for a few hours. Fire and Safety personnel battled for hours to put out the fire.
Although no casualty was reported, property valued at lakhs of rupees was destroyed. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
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The staff and customers were evacuated soon after the fire broke out at the kitchen side of the restaurant on the ground floor of the three-storey building. The blaze soon spread to the other parts of the restaurant before engulfing the entire building. The fire damaged an adjacent shop too.
Fire and Rescue personnel said that a potential blast could be prevented as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders kept at the kitchen side were removed by the staff.
Some employees said that an electrical short circuit could have sparked off the fire. However, the police and the Fire and Rescue men said they would investigate and find the cause of the blaze.
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Open Grill is the most popular of Noor Jehan’s chain of restaurants in Palakkad town.