CHENNAI: A chemical godown in Manali went up in flames owing to a short-circuit after water entered the electricity box. About 12 fire tenders contained the flames after a 9-hour battle.
Police said Issac Thyagarajan of Vaikkadu owns a chemical godown on the Manali - Ponneri National Highway. Raw chemicals to manufacture cloth washing powders, plastic pipes and cleaning liquids are stored in the facility. There was water stagnation on the premises, which receded on Friday. Midnight on Friday, power returned after five days and minutes later, smoke emerged from the godown.
Fire tenders from 12 different fire stations including Manali, Red Hills, Madhavaram, Egmore and Kolathur battled the blaze for nine hours before putting it out. Sources said black smoke from the godown engulfed the locality and motorists complained of eye irritation.