Two shops situated in the heart of the town were reduced to ashes when a major fire broke out here during the wee hours of Wednesday.
The fire gutted Perumbavoor Paints and General Electricals on the ground floor of Madaparambil Building, opposite Sanjoe Hospital. The losses due to the fire could run into lakhs. The reason behind the fire is yet to be confirmed.
The police said the electrical inspector of Ernakulam has been informed of the incident. Fingerprint experts were called in to inspect the site.Fire tenders had to be rushed in from various fire stations in the district to control the blaze. It took almost four hours to douse the fire as both the shops were closed.
A passerby, who noticed smoke billowing from one of the shops, had called up the fire station. The paint shop belonged to Salam, who is a native of Vallam near here, and the electricals shop belonged to his neighbour Shabeer.