THOOTHUKUDI: A major fire broke out at the Thoothukudi Thermal Power Station (TTPS) late on Saturday night, leading to the halting of 630 MW of power production at three of its units. Following several hours of effort, fire and rescue service personnel managed to put out the blaze by 5 pm on Sunday. The fire at the cable gallery, however, is still smoldering. Two firefighters have been hospitalised due to suffocation.
TTPS is among the oldest thermal plants in operation, comprising five 210-MW units, with a total production capacity of 1050 MW.
According to sources, the fire broke out at the control room of unit I around 9.40 pm, and spread to the nearby departments and godown, impacting power production at units I, II and III. Smoke billowing out of chimneys caused panic among the public, they said.
Upon information, at least 10 fire engines and 50 personnel — under the deputy director of fire and rescue service — from stations in Thoothukudi and neighbouring districts arrived at the spot to douse the flames. As smoke filled the plant, the firefighters struggled to move closer to spray foam, leading to the suffocation and hospitalisation of two.
Units I, II & III turned off; IV & V still operational
Subsequently, Thoothukudi Collector K Elambahavath inspected the plant, along with revenue officials and TTPS engineers. Speaking to reporters, he said that the cable gallery of units I and II is where the fire broke out initially. However, following swift action, the spread of fire to the other units has been arrested successfully, he said.
The two firefighters admitted to the Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital are safe, he said. Since the cables are still fuming, Elambahavath added, additional fire safety equipment and advanced fire tender vehicles have been brought in from Madurai. The firefighters were forced to drill a hole into the walls of unit one, to put off the smoke emanating from the wires, cables and other machinery, he said.
TTPS Chief Engineer Sridhar told TNIE that the firefighters extinguished the flames and fumes by 5 pm on Sunday. Power cables of unit one have been gutted, the cause of which is yet to be ascertained. While units I, II and III have been turned off, units IV and V are still operational, he said, adding that operations in unit III may resume in a few days.
The extent of damage is yet to be assessed, Sridhar said.