Kozhikode: The massive fire that broke out at the Mofussil Bus Stand (New Bus Stand) area in Kozhikode on Sunday evening kept the city on edge for hours. It was brought under control only after a relentless 10-hour firefighting operation.

The blaze which started around 5 pm on Sunday was fully extinguished by 3 am on Monday. While fire officials were able to bring the flames under control by the fifth hour of the mission, the fire at a cloth godown continued to rage and was completely put out only by the early hours of Monday. Alongside the Fire and Rescue Department, crash tenders and top pumping units from Calicut Airport played a crucial role in containing the flames.

Though no casualties were reported, the fire devastated the upper floors of a commercial building near the New Bus Stand, owned by the Kozhikode City Corporation. The worst-hit was Calicut Textiles, a wholesale cloth store on the upper floors of the building, as both the store and its godown were completely gutted. Initial estimates put the total loss at over ₹75 crore, with damage on the third floor, where the cloth godown was located, alone exceeding ₹50 crore.

A pharmacy godown in the same building was also destroyed. Around 1 am, another wave of fire broke out on top of the pharmacy store, but it was swiftly brought under control. Fifteen fire tenders participated in the operation.

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Calicut Textiles owner Mukundan at the site. He suffered the highest loss in the fire accident. Photo: Manorama.

The unscientific construction of the building significantly hampered firefighting efforts. According to officials, the absence of basic safety measures such as fire extinguishers, emergency exits, and unauthorised shutters and partitions obstructed rescue efforts. Water could be pumped into the building, enclosed on all sides with glass, only after fire personnel broke through fiberglass panes and walls using an earthmover.

Meanwhile, the Chief Secretary has directed the District Collector to ascertain the cause of the fire and submit a detailed report within two days. Preliminary findings suggest that poor construction practices and safety violations contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

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