Pathanamthitta: A massive fire broke out at the Beverages Corporation warehouse in Pulikeezhu in Thiruvalla here on Tuesday. An official said that fire force units from nearby stations had reached the spot to extinguish the blaze. 

The fire broke out around 8 pm at the warehouse located near the Travancore Sugar factory in Kadapra grama panchayat. No casualties were reported as the unit is located away from residential areas, and most of the employees had left by the time the incident occurred, said ward member Shaji Mathew. He also said that the employees at the outlet ran to safety once they noticed the fire. 

Though the blaze completely destroyed the warehouse and the outlet nearby, it did not spread to the production unit, thereby averting a massive disaster, said Shaji. "The production unit contained massive quantities of spirit used to produce the 'Jawan' brand of liquor. Fortunately, the fire did not spread to the production line. Had it done so, the extent of the damage would have been unimaginable," he said.

The extent of the damage cannot be determined at the moment, but some reports estimate it to be in crores. The roof of the warehouse, made of aluminium sheets, was completely destroyed along with liquor stocks worth several lakhs, Shaji said. 

The exact reason for the fire is not officially determined, but preliminary reports suggest that a short circuit may have caused the blaze. An employee at the warehouse told Manorama News that maintenance works were underway at the facility and the wiring was being redone. "Some portions of the wiring were removed. That may have caused the fire," he said.  The unit produces the ‘Jawan’ brand of liquor and stored the spirit used in its production.