THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A fire that broke out at Hotel Highland in Manjalikulam near Thampanoor on Friday evening destroyed the hotel’s second-floor kitchen and forced the evacuation of all guests. No casualties were reported.
The blaze was reported around 5 pm and is believed to have started in the chimney of the kitchen on the second floor. All equipment and materials inside the kitchen were gutted. The intense heat also shattered several glass panes of the hotel. Preliminary estimates place the loss at around Rs 5 lakh. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
Passers-by were the first to notice flames and thick smoke rising from the building. They alerted people inside the hotel. The hotel staff then informed the Chenkalchoola fire and rescue station. Four fire units were rushed to the spot. They battled the blaze for nearly one and a half hours before bringing it under control.
As flames rose from the building, hotel employees evacuated all guests. Kitchen materials that caught fire produced dense smoke. News of the fire drew a large crowd to the area.
Guests staying at the hotel alleged that the fire alarm did not go off when the blaze started. Many said they became aware of the fire only after hotel staff asked them to leave the building.
Fire force said the operation took longer because plastic and other combustible materials had caught fire. Traffic along the stretch remained disrupted during the period.