Fire deals body blow to toy making unit

KOCHI: A plush toy manufacturing unit at Edayar Industrial Development area got completely gutted after a fire broke out in the factory on Friday morning. No casualties have been reported. Body Gear International which makes toys using nylon strings, sponge and velvet cloths got completely gutted in the fire which broke out around 4 am.

The fire was first spotted by morning walkers, who alerted the fire and Rescue Services Department. It took a couple of hours for the 10 fire tenders that were brought in from Eloor, Gandhi Nagar, Aluva, Thrikkakara and North Paravoor to douse the fire.  The fire tenders had reached the spot within 15 minutes of the incident being reported.

Timely action of the fire and rescue officers to shift the diesel engine installed near the factory averted a major accident.  “Since the raw materials being used in the factory were sponge, nylon and velvet, all highly combustible items, the fire spread rapidly through the unit. We were lucky to be able to shift the diesel engine before the fire spread to the area where it was kept,” said Surendran, a fire and rescue officer.

Initial investigation suggested a short circuit could have triggered the fire which destroyed property worth over Rs 1 crore. “Since the accident happened early in the morning, a major disaster got averted. Only two security men were on duty and they were staying outside the building.  If the fire had broken out during working hours the casualties might have been many,” said a fire officer from Thrikkakara.

Meanwhile, Binanipuram police have begun an investigation to find the actual cause of the accident. “We have registered a case. A report from the boilers, electrical engineer, KSEB and the Forensic Department will be sought. A final picture will be arrived at after the reports are received,” said a police officer from Binanipuram station.  However, it has come to fore the toy manufacturing unit doesn’t have a firefighting system. “Last week we had issued a clear instruction to the owners to set up sufficient firefighting equipment inside the unit. Many industrial units in the area don’t have proper firefighting equipment to deal with such crisis,” said an officer on condition of anonymity.