Fire and rescue service officials participated in the joint inspection on Monday (May 19) and found a serious failure at the shopping mall near Mofussil Bus Stand in Kozhikode, which the company burned in a fire on Sunday (May 18). Inspection revealed that there was no fire alarm system and smoke detector inside the affected building. Due to illegal internal modifications to create additional storage space, the fire exit was found to be blocked.
“Installing air conditioners, using plywood and aluminum composite panels to separate buildings into separate compartments without a single contingency. There is no blueprint to understand the changes during critical fire hours,” said senior officials, a part of the five-hour rescue operation. He added that the amendment was made without obtaining a mandatory certificate of no objection from the authorities.
The lack of functional hydrants or any accessible water source near the commercial complex forced them to replenish water from Mananchira, which reportedly delayed and disrupted the continuity of the operation, according to officials. Traders present at the scene expressed concerns about the loss of time during the supplement process.
“The large number of elastic plates are tightly secured into the building, adding to the challenge and allowing the fire to spread rapidly around the structure,” a police officer said, adding that the burning plates pose a threat to nearby buildings and hinder efforts to contain the fire.
A retired fire and rescue service officer said firefighters can access the building from multiple directions due to the adjoining private bus stands and wide roads, so they can respond effectively. However, he noted that several other commercial buildings in the city still have no access to the fire bidding, a serious issue that requires urgent attention.
publishing – May 19, 2025, 7:18 pm IST
