KOCHI: Four persons, including a fire officer, suffered minor injuries when a massive fire broke out on the second floor of an IT building inside Kinfra Park, Kakkanad, on Saturday evening. According to the Infopark police, the fire broke out at the Geo Infopark building around 6.30 pm. It took nearly two hours for the five fire tender units from Thrikkakara, Tripunithura, Gandhi Nagar, and Eroor to bring the situation under control.
Though there were concerns that several people were trapped inside the building, rescuers confirmed it wasn’t the case. “Four people suffered minor injuries while trying to escape from the fire. Though we suspected that some were trapped inside the building, we did not find anyone. It took nearly two hours for the fire and rescue officials to bring the situation under control,” said N S K Umesh, the Ernakulam district collector, who was also present at the accident site.
As per information from the fire and rescue officials, the fire began in the washroom and later spread to the rest of the building. “It was difficult for the rescue officials to enter the building due to thick smoke and fire,” said a fire officer. A fire and rescue officer who injured his hand was admitted to a private hospital in Kakkanad and was later discharged.
According to the police, a major tragedy was averted as the number of people in the building was very low. The building, which is located opposite the Infopark station, houses around 50 offices. “Compared to other days, the staff is very less today as it is a second Saturday. So far, no casualties have been reported,” said a police officer.
4 suffer minor injuries
Four people suffered minor injuries while trying to escape the fire
A Fire and Rescue Services officer who injured his hand was admitted to a hospital in Kakkanad. He was later discharged
Major tragedy averted as the building was sparsely occupied at the time