Fire breaks out at hotel in TVM's Thampanoor; evacuation underway

A fire broke out at Hotel Highland in Thampanoor, Thiruvananthapuram, on Friday evening, prompting a large-scale emergency response.

According to Fire and Rescue Services officials, the blaze was reported around 5.15 pm. Fire tenders from multiple nearby stations, along with police personnel, were rushed to the spot to contain the fire and evacuate guests and staff. Visuals from the scene showed thick smoke billowing from the upper floors of the hotel.

"Three fire units have been deployed from here," an officer from the Thampanoor Fire and Rescue Station said, adding that evacuation efforts were underway.

The incident triggered panic in the busy city centre as the hotel is located in Thampanoor, close to several commercial establishments, the KSRTC bus terminal and Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station.

The fire is said to have originated in the kitchen. It was the smoke that rose up from the multi-storeyed hotel that alerted the public and caused them to rush and assist in evacuating the occupants on various floors. The fire was soon put out by the Fire and Rescue personnel.

The guests, mostly Malayali families who had arrived from other parts of the state, had rushed out of their rooms without taking their belongings. "The fire alarm had not sounded and so we had no idea that fire had broke out. Then there was frantic knocking on the doors, and we saw people running everywhere, asking guests to rush out. They told us not to wait to pick up our things," one of the guests said.

A hotel employee said that the quick response had limited the damage to a minimum.