Kozhikode: A major tragedy was averted in SM Street, a traditional shopping zone of Kozhikode on Wednesday, when a three-storeyed textile shop was gutted and the fire blazed for nearly five hours. The fire and rescue services shifted four LPG cylinders kept upstairs in the building and averted a disaster.
The textile shop, with nine rooms, was completely gutted, including the stock inside. Fortunately the more than 40 employees escaped after the shop manager alerted them when he saw fumes coming out from the pack of readymade shirts around 11am.
Nearly 20 fire engines from Kozhikode, Malappuram and Kannur reached the spot to douse the fire and prevent it from extending to nearby shops. At around 12.30pm, a fire tender from Airports Authority of India also came there. But by that time, the fire had been brought under control.
An estimate of the loss has not been reached. The preliminary findings was that a defective electricity circuit caused the fire, said Fire and Rescue assistant divisional officer Arun Bhaskar, who was at the site, along with divisional officer Arun Alphonse.
“There was no emergency fire exit, other than the stairs, which is the state of many other buildings in the area. There were not enough fire extinguishers needed for an emergency situation like this,” said Mr Arun. The building is owned by Pankaj Gurani and the textile shop was run by Hima Dalapati.
District Collector U.V. Jose said that a meeting of all the representatives of merchant organisations has been called on February 25. He added that safety mechanisms to prevent such outbreaks would be strengthened.
Arya Bhavan restaurant on SM street, which lies close to the gutted shop, offered free lunch to all the people involved in the rescue operations and members of the public who gathered at the street. During the earlier incidents of major fire outbreaks also, they had served food for free.
MK Raghavan MP, MLAs VKC Mammedkoya and A Pradeepkumar, Mayor Thottathil Raveendran, North zone DGP Rajesh Dewan were present at the spot.
