KOCHI: A plywood factory at Keezhillam near Perumbavoor was completely gutted by fire on Friday. The police said the fire engulfed the company named ‘Index’ around 10.30 pm. Since no workers were present in the company, a major tragedy was averted. The Fire and Rescue Services unit from Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam and Pattimattom sprung into action to douse the fire which took nearly three hours.
Following the smoke emanating from the company, local residents alerted the Fire and Rescue Services personnel. However, the exact cause of the accident is yet to be identified. Though the officials suspect that a short circuit might have resulted in the fire, they are yet to reach a conclusion. The officers said the loss was pegged at around Rs 5 crore.