Fire at scrapyard near Pullepady bridge, no injuries

Kochi: A major fire broke out at a scrapyard near Pullepady bridge on Saturday evening, sending thick black smoke billowing across the area and disrupting traffic. No injuries were reported. The blaze, which erupted around 6.30pm, quickly intensified, with flames rising above the bridge and alarming commuters. Fire and rescue services personnel rushed to the spot, deploying five units from stations at Gandhinagar, Club Road and Tripunithura. It took nearly two hours to bring the fire under control. Officials suspect that the fire may have been triggered by a carelessly discarded cigarette butt that ignited paper and plastic waste at the site. The scrapyard, operating on less than two cents of land, had reportedly stored a large quantity of scrap, including unused electrical and electronic items and wires, said Jose Davis, who was part of the firefighting team. According to fire personnel, the accumulation had grown in recent days as a lorry meant to transport the materials to Tamil Nadu was delayed due to the assembly election there. The trader had kept the scrap covered, awaiting transport. "The fire appears to have started near the piled-up scrap. As smouldering continued, the materials caught fire, and compressors in electronic items began to explode," said Jose Davis, part of the firefighting team. As a precaution, inmates of a nearby hostel were evacuated, and vehicles parked under the bridge were moved to safety. Advertisement boards fixed along the bridge's handrail were also damaged in the blaze. Fire personnel remained at the site for over an hour after dousing the flames to prevent any rekindling.