THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A shop was totally gutted and another one partially destroyed in a fire that erupted at Kothuwal Street, Chalai, on Thursday morning. According to traders, the sudden fire resulted in a loss of Rs 15 lakh. Though the exact reason could not be found out, it is believed that a short-circuit led to the mishap. ‘Star Traders’, which sell provisions and spices, was fully destroyed in the fire, causing a loss of Rs 11 lakh. The flames partially destroyed another shop, ‘Shameena Provisions’ on the street, leading to a loss of Rs 4 lakh. “Short-circuit is suspected to be the reason. When we reached the spot, the sparks were still there,” said a Fire and Rescue Services official. No one was hurt as both the shops were remaining closed at the time of the incident owing to the hartal called by the BJP. The entire stock of Star Traders was consumed by the fire and the roof of the shop was also destroyed. Minister V S Sivakumar, Mayor K Chandrika, Tahsildar Harikrishnan Nair and police officers visited the scene. Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithy district president Kalady Aji and general secretary Mohammed Sidheek demanded that the State Government should pay a compensation of Rs 15 lakh to the affected traders. This is the third time in two months that a fire has been reported from Chalai, the most busy market place in the city. “It was two months back that the office of a parcel service caught fire, but timely intervention of the local people averted a big tragedy and loss. A few weeks later, a shop near Chalai Mosque also caught fire in the night, but that time also, tragedy was averted following people’s intervention,” said Mohammed Sidheek.
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