Kochi: Fire guts building, loss worth Rs 25 lakh

Kochi: The ground floor of a three-storied building at the electronic street in Pallimukku was gutted in a fire on Thursday evening. There was no causality. According to the preliminary estimates, the fire destroyed Rs 25 lakh worth goods including seven two-wheelers parked near the building.

Firefighters suspect a short circuit in a ground floor shop. It soon engulfed the plastic and electronics wastes dumped on the floor. As the flames gathered strength, the people were evacuated, and shops closed. Mayor Soumini Jain has blamed the shop owners not availing the facilities developed by the Kochi Corporation for the disposal of the wastes for the fire mishap. Four units of the Fire and Rescue Services brought it under control around 4 pm.