Kannur: A major fire swept through a tiled roof commercial building on Market Road early on Tuesday morning, gutting a shop and destroying property worth lakhs.

The blaze broke out in the early hours at Emirates Chocolates and Dry Fruits, an outlet located near Campbazar Mosque. Pedestrians who noticed thick smoke billowing from the first floor promptly raised the alarm and alerted the Fire and Rescue Services. Three fire tenders rushed to the scene and battled the flames for nearly two hours before bringing them under control. Preliminary findings indicate an electrical short circuit as the likely cause.

The fire originated in a first-floor storage room stocked with trade merchandise, including chocolates. The roof, ACP paneling, and electrical wiring were completely incinerated, and the storefront glass shattered under the intense heat. The flames also spread to the adjacent Taj Arab Souk, but firefighters acted swiftly to contain the blaze, averting widespread damage.

Given the densely clustered, tiled-roof shops typical of Market Road, a major catastrophe was averted purely through the prompt vigilance of local residents and the timely intervention of the firefighting personnel.

The operation was led by District Fire Officer B. Raj, Assistant Station Officer Joy, Senior Fire and Rescue Officer M. Sooraj, and Fire and Rescue Officers Suresh, Shiju, Shamith, Arjun, Shilpa, Anujith, Nimesh, and Jyothish Krishnan, assisted by Home Guards Nikhil and Sajitha.