The Hindu : Front Page : Fire destroys warehouse in Manali

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Friday, Oct 10, 2008
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Fire destroys warehouse in Manali

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: Fire fighters battled for over ten hours a blaze that destroyed a warehouse in Manali, a northern suburb, on Thursday.

Medicines, electronic goods, food stuff and reams of paper stocked in the warehouse went up in flames as the fire raged till late night. Columns of smoke billowing from the sheet-roofed building could be seen till the Red Hills junction several km away. The Fire and Rescue Services, which received the call at 2.15 p.m., rushed foam tenders and water to the building, which developed cracks. The fire personnel initiated steps to prevent the blaze from spreading to the nearby container terminal and hutments, where hundreds of people reside.

The fire fighters had to break open shutters to direct the jets of water inside the warehouse, owned by Universal Logistics. There was no loss of life and the extent of material loss is yet to be ascertained.

Fire personnel suspect that a short circuit or a fire from lamps lit for Ayudha Puja was the cause.

A total of 2.20 lakh litres of water was used to cool down the building. “The fire is expected to be put out by Friday,” Meenakshi Vijayakumar, District Fire Officer (North), told The Hindu.

The local body had sent a notice to the owners of the warehouse seeking information about their licences and fire clearance three months ago but had not received any response.

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