THRISSUR: About 500 two-wheelers were gutted in a major fire that broke out in the parking area near platform 2 of Thrissur railway station on Sunday.
Timely intervention by the fire force prevented the flames from spreading to crucial zones. Mallika, a parking management staff at the station, first spotted the fire.
“The spark from a power cable fell on the plastic used to cover a bike. It caught fire and the flames started spreading. I called for help while pouring water from the bottle I had. However, the bike’s petrol tank burst. I got scared and screamed for help,” she said.
Southern Railway refutes eyewitness’ remarks
Thrissur fire station officer Anilkumar T said they got an alert around 6.35 am and rushed to the spot. “About 30,000 litres of water was used to douse the flames. Through timely intervention, we could stop the fire from spreading to the automatic signal unit on the platform”
He said the exact cause of the fire can be established only via a forensic examination. The flames were doused within 30 minutes and train traffic was not affected. Revenue Minister K Rajan, MLA P Balachandran and Mayor Niji Justin visited the site. Rajan has sought a report.
State Police Chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar, too, visited the site and sought a report. “It is a serious safety lapse. Further details can only be disclosed based on the report,” he said.
In a statement, the Southern Railway refuted allegations that a spark from the overhead cable triggered the fire, saying it originated from one of the parked motorcycles. The fire was brought under control swiftly due to coordinated efforts by firefighters, local residents and railway police personnel, said the statement, which dismissed remarks made by the eyewitness (Mallika) as unsubstantiated.