Kochi: Disaster Management issued an alert following the outbreak of the major fire. The nearby Government Girls Higher Secondary School was closed, and roads leading to the spot were blocked for private vehicles.
Besides that, people were evacuated from nearby areas as the firemen’s first focus was to prevent the flames from spreading out of the building.
The residential apartment very near to the building was immediately evacuated by the fire and rescue personnel around 11.30 am. Following that, firefighters used that building to douse the flames and as a vantage point as the other side of the affected building was an empty area.
At the initial stage, huge flames were engulfing all the floors including the rooftop and black smoke was rising from the building which was visible from kilometres away.
The Fire and Rescue personnel along with BPCL team sprayed foam from the neighbouring building to completely douse the fire. However, the polyurethane soles continued to burn for the next couple of hours.
According to officials, it was difficult to douse the fire from only one side.
Forty-five fire engines reached the spot from several places - both inside and outside the district - in these five hours.
The refilling engines had to reach the spot several times as the duration of the operation was long and intense.
After a battle of around six hours, mostly with foam which acts as a blanket to the rubber materials and prevents air from the area, the firemen were able to douse the fire completely. However, the building was completely damaged.
