The fire engulfing the godown near Walajah on Thursday
A 56-year-old owner of a cotton godown at Ammananthangal village near Walajah town in Ranipet on Chennai – Bengaluru Highway (NH 44) escaped unhurt after fire broke out in the unit on Thursday, resulting in thick smoke in the area.
Police said that it was around 4 am when K. Sivagopal, owner, went to his unit as part of his routine patrol of the facility, noticed thick smoke coming from the unit. Immediately, along with neighbours and other residents, he tried to douse off the fire but the fire spread to the entire unit, which is around 2,300 sq.ft.
Based on alert, a 10-member fire fighters team from Ranipet SIPCOT and Arcot rushed to the spot. Before firefighters could reach the spot, fire spread to the entire godown. After nearly two hours of hard labour, fire fighters doused it. The entire facility got completely gutted. Tonnes of cotton rolls, waste cloth material and machinery that were estimated around Rs 15 lakhs were destroyed in the accident.
Residents complained of severe eye irritation especially among children and senior citizens due to smoke from the unit. A case was registered by Walajah police. Police said an electrical short circuit from the main electrical board inside the unit might be the reason for the incident. A probe is underway.
Published – March 20, 2025 11:20 pm IST
