Kerala - Kochi   

KBPS godown gutted

KOCHI: A godown of the Kerala Books and Publication Society, a Kerala government undertaking, at Thrikkakara was gutted on Tuesday morning.

Paper rolls and waste paper stored in three rooms were destroyed in the fire. A binding machine was also damaged. The loss has been put at Rs.1 crore, according to initial estimates. No loss of life or injury were reported.

The fire was noticed around 6 a.m. by the security employees who alerted the Fire Force. The work at the publication centre is carried out in three shifts. The fire occurred after the employees working in the shift ending at 5 a.m. had left the premises and before the next shift began. The fire could have occurred from an electrical short circuit. Sabotage was not ruled out, according to a top official of the government-owned society. The organisation employs about 300 permanent staff apart from contract workers.

Top police officials, including K. Sethuraman, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Thrikkakkara), and forensic experts visited the place. Investigations are on.

Textbooks of various classes and application forms kept in the adjoining rooms were safe.

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