Thiruvananthapuram: Two women were charred to death and a few others injured in a major fire at an insurance office at Pappanamcode in the state capital on Tuesday. One of the deceased has been identified as Vyshna (35), an employee of the New India Insurance Company. The other woman has not been identified.
The fire broke out at the New India Insurance office on Tuesday.
The fire department received the alert around 1.30 pm. Locals reported hearing a loud sound from the second floor shortly before the office caught fire. The exact cause of the fire is not yet confirmed.
Although the two women, who had suffered severe burns, were admitted to the Medical College Hospital, they could not be saved. The office has been completely destroyed by the fire. The office operates in the second floor of a building in the city centre.
Primary investigations suggest that it might have been triggered by an air conditioning unit explosion.
"We are still investigating the exact cause of the fire. Two units were sent from the Chenkalchoola fire station immediately upon receiving the information,” said a fire force officer.
Fire force officers have doused the fire. Despite the intensity of the fire, nearby shops were not affected, according to police officers.