Fire and rescue service staff trying to break out on Sunday the fire that broke out in the shopping complex near the Mofussil Bus booth in Kozhikode. | Photo Credit: K. Ragesh
Part of traders who have suffered strong losses in a fire that broke out in a shopping complex near the Mofussil BUS booth in Kozhikode on Sunday (May 19) that there were not enough fire engines available for early intervention. They also claimed that the closure of the Kozhikode Fire Station seriously influenced firefighting efforts during the key initial hours.
Meanwhile, Minister of Forest Ak Sasendran, who visited the place to assess the situation, rejected the accusations and said there was no foundation for such criticism. He said that firefighting and rescue teams tried to manage the crisis and confirmed that over eight firefighting engines – including one of Calicut International Airport in Karipur – was immediately deployed.
Two sellers from Calicut Textiles, where the fire allegedly began, said there were no customers at the time of the incident. They added that the flames were also spreading to the textile bohoho in the building, making rescue operations more difficult.
The police officer involved in the operation said that Flex plates placed in front of various shops contributed to the rapid spread of fire to neighboring stores and complicated efforts to detain fire.
Due to the timely intervention of the traffic police, all private buses from the MOFUSIL bus booth were moved to safer areas. Lightweight motor vehicles and motorcycles parked near the affected building were also removed using local traders and volunteers. Operation was regulated for more than three hours to ensure continuous movement of fire engines.
Published – May 18, 2025 20:44