Kozhikode: Hundreds of people had a narrow escape after a massive fire broke out on Sunday at a shopping complex located within the Mofussil Bus Stand building in Kozhikode city. The blaze, which originated in the godown of Calicut Fashion Bazaar on the first floor, took several hours to bring under control.

As soon as the fire was noticed, panic spread among the women and men present in the shopping area. Many rushed outside to safety, shouting to check whether everyone had escaped.

Shopkeepers in neighbouring establishments were initially stunned by the commotion. Soon, bus employees and headload workers in the area realised the seriousness of the situation, as did the officers stationed at the police aid post within the bus stand.

Within ten minutes, flames had engulfed a section of the upper floor in the western block of the building. Smoke and fire shot up to four times the building's height. Additional police forces arrived quickly and evacuated the perplexed crowd, guiding them to safety outside the premises. Shopkeepers were also ordered to leave immediately.

Thick black smoke, accompanied by the nauseating smell of burning cloth, quickly filled the area, causing many to flee in suffocation. Twenty-five minutes after the fire started, three fire units had arrived and begun pumping water at the flames. However, the water could not reach the inner parts of the shops due to obstructions caused by temporary constructions surrounding the building.

Initially, the thick smoke prevented Fire and Rescue personnel from entering the building. Once all shops were evacuated, the police cordoned off the entire bus stand. More fire units arrived soon after to tackle the inferno.

An hour into the operation, 38 fire units were on site. But the blaze intensified further, spreading to the ground floor. Shops with shutters down were completely gutted within minutes.

Smoke soon reached the neighbouring building. To prevent the fire from spreading, fire and rescue personnel, with the help of local traders, broke open shutters and doors of shops on the upper floors. After reaching the third floor of the northern block, firemen were finally able to pump water directly into the affected areas, bringing the fire under control.

Fire units from various parts of the district had to be mobilised. A chemical fire engine from the Kozhikode airport was also brought in earlier, but it failed to extinguish the flames.