Thrissur: Nearly 500 two-wheelers were gutted after a massive fire broke out at the motorcycle parking facility at Thrissur Railway Station in Kerala early on Sunday morning.
There was panic in the area as fire brigade personnel fought to prevent the blaze from spreading. Explosions were reported as the petrol tanks of the motorcycles bursted.
The fire erupted around 6 am at the paid bike parking zone located behind the railway station, close to the second platform, as reported by The Hindu.
Thick black smoke billowing into the sky was visible from several kilometres away. Fire and rescue units from Thrissur and neighbouring parts of the district rushed to the spot and launched an intensive firefighting operation to prevent the blaze from spreading further.
The fire also spread to a large tree adjacent to the second platform. As a precaution, traffic on the road behind the railway station was blocked by the police and fire force. Electricity supply in and around the area was cut off, and residents living nearby were evacuated.
The fire was doused within half an hour by mobilising and deploying fire tenders, the newspaper reported.
Though cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, initial reports indicate that the fire started from one of the parked two-wheeler vehicle and spread to other vehicles. Train services were not affected due to the incident, Southern Railway said in a statement.
The bike parking shed, which had an iron-sheet roof, was completely gutted. Firefighters faced maj
or challenges pumping water directly onto the shed due to its structure and instead sprayed water through the sides and ventilation gaps. Visuals of fireballs shooting upward were seen as fuel tanks of motorcycles exploded intermittently, increasing the risk to rescue personnel.
The ticket counter at the station’s second gate was completely destroyed, it has been reported. A stationary railway locomotive also caught fire but was later moved away from the affected area. Other vehicles parked nearby were swiftly removed to prevent further damage.
It was a narrow escape for two women staff members working at the parking counter, who ran to safety after the fire got out of control.
According to preliminary estimates, around 500 motorcycles were parked inside the shed at the time of the incident, and all of them are believed to have been destroyed. Officials noted that the number of vehicles was relatively lower as it was a Sunday; otherwise, the count could have gone up to nearly 1,000.
Mallika, an employee at the parking facility, has been quoted by the newspaper as saying that the fire initially started on two motorcycles before spreading rapidly.
“I noticed smoke rising suddenly and tried to douse the flames with water, but it didn’t help. I called out to passersby for help. By then, the fuel tank exploded and the fire spread quickly. I ran out to save myself,” she told the media.
Another commuter said he had parked his scooter and gone to collect the parking ticket when the fire broke out. “By the time I rushed back, the fire had already engulfed the entire area,” he said.
The cause of the fire is suspected to be sparks or flames falling from overhead railway lines onto a bike covered with a sheet, though officials said a detailed investigation is under way. Firefighting operations continued for several hours under heightened alert due to the risk of further explosions.