Massive blaze at textile hub near Kerala's Kozhikode bus stand

Massive blaze at textile hub near Kerala's Kozhikode bus stand

A massive fire broke out at a textile shopping hub near the city bus stand here on Sunday around 5 pm. Despite the efforts of 12 fire engines, the blaze continued to burn in some areas even after four hours, but there were no casualties or injuries, fire and rescue officials said.

Political leaders reacting to the incident said it caused massive losses to traders, many of whom lost their livelihoods.

State Forest Minister A K Saseendran, Kozhikode MLA Thottathil Ravindran, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) supremo Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, and District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh—all present at the site—expressed confidence that the fire would soon be fully doused.

Saseendran said the fire had inflicted heavy losses on the traders.

"The government will not turn a blind eye to their plight. We will take steps to ensure they receive the necessary compensation," he told reporters.

Ravindran urged that hydrants be installed in the area, as fire engines had to travel long distances to fetch water.

Thangal said he could not recall a fire of this magnitude in Kozhikode recently and described the losses as “huge.” "We need to face this crisis together. The livelihoods of many have gone up in smoke due to the blaze. Fortunately, as it was a Sunday, there was no loss of life or injuries," he said.

Visuals of the blaze at its onset, aired on TV channels, showed thick black smoke billowing from the first floor of the shopping plaza, which houses several textile shops, with intense flames burning inside.

Several fire engines were seen attempting to control the flames, with additional units, including those from Karipur airport, arriving at the scene.

A fire department official said the exact cause of the fire could be determined only after the flames were fully extinguished.

Local shopkeepers said the textile stores were stocked with large quantities of school uniforms ahead of schools reopening later this month.