KOCHI:A major blaze broke out at an eatery near the SN Junction at Palarivattom here following LPG leak on Monday. However, there were no casualties or injuries resulting from the incident at the New Aryas Tiffin Centre.
The building housing the eatery was completely gutted while two shops nearby were partially damaged.
According to the Fire and Rescue Service officers, the fire started from the eatery’s kitchen around 4.30 pm when the staff were connecting a gas cylinder.A major tragedy was averted as the staff rushed out of the building before the fire engulfed the building, people said.
“By 4.30 pm we noticed smoke emanating from the building. However, we were unable to reach there as fire engulfed the entire area including the road. A major tragedy was averted as the gas cylinder did not explode,” said Dino, who works in an outlet at the Kunnathu Lane, nearby. Firemen from the
Gandhinagar Fire Station battled the blaze for nearly an hour before the blaze could be put out. According to the officers, six cylinders were kept in the shop. Of these, three had developed a leak. The actual extent of loss is yet to be estimated, they said.
“The LPG leak triggered the fire. However, all the cylinders were removed from the building”, said Unnikrishnan A, Station Officer, Fire and Rescue Services, Gandhinagar.Besides the eatery, the two-storeyed building houses a chaat shop and Internet cafe on the first floor. Three other shops function on the second floor.
