A godown of coconut fibre making unit in Veerankuppam village near Ambur town in Tirupattur district was gutted in a fire on Sunday.
Police said around 2.30 p.m. a few residents in the village saw smoke in the open godown. They informed S. Rajendran, 45, owner of the coconut unit. Based on the alert, Oomerabad police rushed to the spot. A firefighters’ team from Ambur town also arrived.
“Fire would have been caused due to electrical short circuit as 110KV electrical transformer is located near the godown,” said A. Mahboob Baig, station fire officer (Ambur).
Initial inquiry revealed that more than 30 tons of coconut fibre were left in the open godown on the rear side of the unit a few weeks ago to dry completely. Once dried, the coconut fibre would be separated from the shell and transported to a coir making unit in Kerala.
After more than two hours of struggle, fire fighters were able to douse the fire. A case has been registered by the police.
