Fire and Rescue Services officials who took part in a joint inspection on Monday (May 19) found serious lapses in fire safety at the shopping complex near the mofussil bus stand in Kozhikode, which was gutted in a major fire on Sunday (May 18). The inspection revealed the absence of fire alert systems and smoke detectors inside the affected buildings. Fire exits were found blocked due to illegal interior modifications made to create additional storage space.
“To install air conditioners, the building was unscientifically divided into separate compartments using plywood and aluminium composite panels. No blueprints were available to understand the alterations during the crucial hours of firefighting,” said a senior officer who was part of the five-hour-long rescue operation. He added that the modifications were made without obtaining the mandatory No Objection Certificate from the authorities.
According to the officials, the absence of functional fire hydrants or any accessible water sources near the commercial complex forced them to refill water from Mananchira, which reportedly delayed and disrupted the continuity of the operation. Traders present at the scene voiced concerns over the time lost during the refilling process.
“A large number of flex boards tightly fixed to the building added to the challenge, allowing the fire to spread rapidly around the structure,” said a police officer deployed for crowd management. He added that the burning boards posed a threat to nearby buildings and hampered efforts to contain the blaze.
A retired Fire and Rescue Services officer said that firefighters were able to respond efficiently as they could access the building from multiple directions, thanks to the adjoining private bus stand and wide roads. However, he pointed out that several other commercial buildings in the city remain inaccessible to fire tenders—a serious issue that calls for urgent attention.
Published – May 19, 2025 07:18 pm IST
