KOCHI: A car parked at the basement parking area of an apartment complex near Marine Drive caught fire on Sunday evening, damaging the vehicle completely.
The incident occurred around 5.30pm. Fire and Rescue Services officials said the owner of the car noticed smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle when he started it. He attempted to move the car out of the parking area but could not do so. The vehicle subsequently caught fire, following which the fire and rescue services were alerted.
Four units from the Gandhi Nagar Fire and Rescue Station reached the spot and brought the fire under control after nearly two hours. The intense fire generated thick black smoke and a strong smell of burning plastic, officials said.
A car parked nearby also sustained heat-related damage, with the bumper and other portions of the vehicle affected. However, fire and rescue personnel managed to prevent the flames from spreading to other vehicles in the parking area. Around 38 cars parked in the vicinity were saved from the fire.
“We received information about the fire after the owner noticed smoke coming from the car. By the time we reached the spot, the vehicle had caught fire. The main challenge was to prevent the fire from spreading to other vehicles parked nearby. We were able to contain it and save around 38 cars,” a fire and rescue official said.