Godown gutted in Flower Bazaar

CHENNAI: In a major blaze that broke out in the heart of the city on Deepavali, a textile godown located in a three-storied commercial building was destroyed at Flower Bazaar on Wednesday. While no injuries were reported, the salvage operations were in progress even 24 hours after the flames were put out. It was at 8.33 pm that the fire control room received the ‘first call’ about thick smoke and flames billowing through the windows of a building on Devaraja Mudali Street, D N Velayudhan Nair, divisional fire officer (north), told Express. “However, on account of Deepavali, we had a fire engine stationed in the area and so we were able to reach the spot immediately,” he said.The fire fighters found the third floor of the building filled with smoke, as the godown that was ablaze stored highly combustible material such as coir mats, rubber sheets and mats and textile material. Sensing that the fire belonged to the ‘major’ category, 70 firemen, 12 fire tenders, 15 metro water lorries, besides 12 water lorries of the fire service, were sent to the spot.Their faces covered with breathing apparatus, the fire fighters fought against the smoke, and from a Bronto sky lift, sprayed water on the leaping flames. “It took three hours to bring the fire under control,” Nair said.Patting his men, he said that despite heavy odds they managed to isolate the fire and prevent it from spreading to other buildings on the congested street. “Otherwise, it would have been a disaster,” he said. “Residential and other commercial buildings were dotting the area.”There were no injuries, but the salvage operations continued 24 hours after the incident. There was tension in the area, as locals expressed apprehension about the safety of the structure.The cause of the fire was under police investigation, the officer said. But the building owners felt that firecrackers could have leapt inside through the open windows, igniting the textile material, he added.Two other incidents were reported from residential flats at Tondiarpet on Wed­nesday. On Thiruvottiyur High Road, a rocket cracker fell inside the bedroom of an apartment, setting the mattress and clothes ablaze. The owner, Poornamahalakshmi (70), was not at home. In Virudappan Maistry Street, a similar fire broke out at the house of G Rajeswari (35), causing the TV to explode.