THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A major fire broke out on the premises of Valiyathura police station on Wednesday triggering panic among cops and residents staying in the vicinity.
The fire broke out from the waste dumped behind the police station. No casualties have been reported.
As many as 30 vehicles, both four-wheeler and two-wheelers, which were parked on the premises, completely gutted in the fire. However, the timely intervention of the police and local residents prevented the spread of fire to other places including the police station.
Three units of fire tenders from the Chackai fire forces were pressed into the service and the fire was contained within an hour.
According to S Arun, Station House Officer, the source of the fire is yet to be ascertained. "Around 8.30 am, thick smoke started billowing from the waste which had accumulated behind the station. As soon as the police reached the site, the fire spread fast toward the vehicles. Sadly, all the vehicles caught fire. We have submitted a report to the fire and rescue department to check the estimate of loss. An investigation is also on to find out the reason for the fire," he told The New Indian Express.
As per the initial findings of the fire and rescue department, careless disposal of cigarettes and improper waste monitoring are the likely causes of the fire. The loss estimate may be in lakhs as most vehicles gutted are four-wheelers.