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Fire at chemical unit

Staff Reporter

Inflammable materials were stored in large quantities there

MADURAI: Timely intervention of Fire and Rescue Department personnel prevented what could have been a major fire tragedy in the heart of Madurai on Sunday. A fire broke out in a chemical unit at Sellur on the morning of Sunday destroying two cars and 10 huts. None was injured.

According to police sources, residents of Muthaliar Fourth Street in the congested Sellur Keelathoppu locality heard a loud noise followed by smoke emanating from the chemical unit.

Several barrels containing Ethyl Acetate, Acetone and Toluene went up in flames. The cause of fire is under investigation.

Three fire tenders were rushed to the scene of fire. At least 25 fire fighters led by Divisional Fire Officer V. Ramachandran took more than two hours to extinguish the flames.

At one point of time when the fire was getting out of control, the officials used foam.

"The fire followed a couple of explosions. The windowpanes of a three-storey residential flat located nearby housing 61 families were shattered in the impact. But for the timely intervention of the fire service personnel, the fire would have spread to nearby houses since highly inflammable chemicals were stored in large quantities," Station Fire Officer K.A. Jeevanandham told The Hindu .

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