A godown of the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd (KMSCL) in Thumba on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram was gutted in a massive fire that broke out during the wee hours of Tuesday. A fireman who was involved in the fire-fighting operation was killed in action.
The incident occurred at the District Drug Warehouse of the State-run KMSCL in the KINFRA International Apparel Park around 1.30 a.m. On hearing a huge explosion, a few passersby alerted the security team at the park premises. Soon, nearly 10 fire force units were dispatched to the scene from various fire force stations in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam.
Official sources said the gutted godown apparently stored a wide range of chemicals including bleaching powder, washing soda, surgical spirit, chloroxylenol and chlorhexidine handrub. Other products including calamine lotion and turpentine liniment were also stocked in the single-storied building that was situated close to the main building that stocked medicines worth nearly ₹16 crore.
The deceased officer, J.S. Renjith, 32, who hailed from Attingal and was attached to the Chakka fire force station, was crushed to death when a portion of the building collapsed on him. A concrete beam fell on him while he attempted to break open a shutter. Despite being rushed to a private hospital, he succumbed to his injuries around 3.30 a.m. The fireman joined the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services seven years ago.
While multiple agencies have launched probes into the fire mishap, preliminary findings pointed to the possibility of the bleaching powder catching fire due to extreme heat. The loss is estimated to be ₹1.22 crore, according to preliminary findings.
Ruling out the possibility of sabotage, District Collector Geromic George said samples of the bleaching powder will be sent for chemical tests. The packaging of chemicals will also be examined to ascertain the cause of fire.
This is the second fire outbreak that has been reported in a drug warehouse of the KMSCL in a week. The District Drug Warehouse of the company in Kollam was gutted in fire with the loss pegged at ₹8 crore. The unnatural frequency of such occurrences has raised concerns of the quality of chemicals stocked by KMSCL.
KMSCL managing director Jeevan Babu K. said a comprehensive probe has been instituted to ascertain the circumstances that led to the incidents in Kollam and Thumba. The quality of the stocked bleaching powder will also be tested. He added that such chemicals had been stored separately to minimise the chance of fire mishap.
KINFRA managing director Santhosh Koshy Thomas told media persons that the building was structurally sound and had all necessary clearance. The godown has been functioning from the rented building for nearly 10 years.
However, Director General of Police, Fire and Rescue Services, B. Sandhya said it lacked the no-objection certificate from the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services. It also did not have the requisite firefighting capabilities that are necessary for a building that stored such goods. The fire force had undertaken a fire audit and conveyed necessary directions, she added.
