THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A major fire broke out at a chemical godown in Aryasala near Chalai market on the evening of Monday, triggering widespread panic. The godown belonged to Sivakumar Chemicals, and the fire started around 5 pm. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined by the Fire and Rescue Services. While the total extent of the damage is still being assessed, initial estimates suggest that the losses could exceed `10 lakh.
The fire is believed to have originated in a storage area where various chemicals, including bleaching powder, were kept. It is suspected that the fire was caused by the bleaching powder. Firefighters took around five hours to extinguish the fire, as it had spread to a two-storey building.
All the chemicals inside the facility were destroyed by the fire. The flames also spread to nearby shops, including Srikanteshwara Powertools, Srikrishna Electricals, Thai Traders, and a power tools repair shop. Additionally, some motorcycles parked in front of the building were also affected.
As the fire rapidly spread through the narrow passage, shopkeepers and employees quickly evacuated the area. Three motorcycles were reported to have been destroyed. Around 10 firefighting units from Chengalchoola, Chackai, and other fire stations in the city were engaged in fighting the blaze. The rainfall in the area posed a challenge for the firefighters, and the heavy smoke generated by the burning chemicals caused further concerns.
Initially, the loading workers and traders attempted to extinguish the fire, but due to the presence of chemicals and synthetic materials, their efforts were unsuccessful.
“The preliminary conclusion is that the fire started from the bleaching powder stored by the company for sale. Last week, a load of bleaching powder had arrived at the establishment. It was the chemical warehouse operating in the building that had caught fire. We have removed the remaining bleaching powder stored in the facility. It’s suspected that the bleaching powder was of poor quality,” a Fire and Rescue Services officer said.