KOZHIKODE: A major fire broke out on Tuesday at a textile showroom near the Kozhikode railway station, causing panic in the busy Palayam area and forcing authorities to shut traffic on nearby roads.
The fire started in the three-storey textile showroom building around 6 pm and quickly spread to the upper floors, fire officials said.
Fire and rescue teams rushed to the spot soon after the blaze was reported, and by around 9-9.30 pm, it was brought under control, the officials added.
However, the fire has not yet been completely extinguished, and fire personnel are preparing to enter the building to fully deal with it, they said.
No casualties have been reported, as everyone was evacuated from the building when the blaze was noticed, officials said.
Fire units from the Meenchanda, Beach, and Vellimadukunnu stations were deployed, and additional teams were sent as the fire continued to spread.
A specialised fire tender from the Kozhikode airport was also pressed into service to battle the flames, officials said.
Thick smoke was seen rising from the building, and glass panes shattered due to intense heat during the initial stage of the blaze, making firefighting efforts more difficult.
This is the second time the building has caught fire.
On the morning of April 1, 2023, a huge fire broke out on the third floor of the building.
Later, the entire building and a few vehicles parked on the ground floor were gutted in the flames.