An automobile workshop in the middle of a residential area near Chakkaraparambu went up in flames gutting around 18 autorickshaws on Friday evening.
It took firefighters nearly two hours to douse the fire. Two sheds on a five-cent plot that served as the workshop were completely engulfed in the fire. With a mosque and residential buildings near the spot, a tragedy was averted thanks to the timely intervention of firefighters who successfully prevented the blaze from spreading further.
Two fire tenders from Thrikkakara and three from Gandhi Nagar fire stations put down the flames. Except for three autorickshaws, which the firefighters managed to dragged out from the workshop, the rest of the vehicles were gutted, while other equipment and tools were damaged. What triggered the fire would be known only after a detailed assessment, said fire force sources.
A team led by senior fire and rescue services officer P.K. Prasad of the Thrikkakara fire station carried out the operation.
