A coir manufacturing unit at Indira Nagar near Gudiyatham town in Vellore was gutted by fire on Saturday.
Police said it was around 11:30 a.m. when several residents of the village saw smoke in the unit. K. Baskaran, 52, owner of a coconut unit, informed. After being informed, the Gudiyatham town police rushed to the spot. Firefighters and the rescue service were informed.
“The fire may have been caused by an electrical short in the electrical distribution box in the unit,” police said. An initial investigation revealed that more than 40 tonnes of coir had been left at the back of the unit to dry a few weeks ago. After drying, the coir is separated from the shell and transported to a coir manufacturing unit in Kerala.
Firefighters managed to put out the fire and the police registered the case. A probe is underway.
Published – 14 Feb 2026 19:40 IST