Fire breaks out at warehouse near Manali

Chennai: A major fire broke out at a warehouse storing oil lubricants at Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in Vichoor near Manali New Town on Monday morning, triggering repeated explosions inside the facility. Fire and rescue services personnel battled the blaze for several hours, with thick smoke engulfing the locality till evening. Two firefighters collapsed during the operation after inhaling dense smoke.

According to sources, the fire broke out around 11am. Employees noticed the blaze and evacuated the premises before alerting the fire and rescue personnel.

Fire department personnel said the warehouse was located in an isolated open area and there was no immediate threat to nearby residents. However, extinguishing an oil fire remained challenging due to the highly inflammable materials stored inside the facility.

Manali New Town police are monitoring the situation and inquiries are under way to ascertain the cause of the fire.