An ongoing probe by the Electrical Inspectorate Department into the fire breakout at a six-storeyed footwear godown near Ernakulam Junction railway station in February has prima facie reached the conclusion that the fire might have originated in the iron-framed mezzanine floor between the ground and the first floor.
The CCTV footage from the mezzanine floor, used for storing pair pieces of the footwear on display, has led to the assumption.
However, officials are still in the dark about what might have triggered the fire since the partition in question had just one light. The officials could not find any witnesses, as everyone seems to have been alerted to the fire only on seeing the billowing smoke.
Besides, the lack of clarity and blocked vision in the CCTV footage owing to piled-up cardboard boxes leaves it short of being conclusive evidence.
Disparity in time
There is also disparity in the time displayed on the footage. While the fire broke out shortly after 11 a.m., the time displayed on the footage was around 12.20 p.m. “This has been cited as a technical glitch by the person who showed us the footage. We will be recording his statement later this week and also of those who installed the CCTVs, if need be,” an official associated with the probe told The Hindu.
Officials have also recorded the statement of KSEB officials to the effect that there was no power supply in the locality where the building was situated at the time of the emergency owing to line maintenance. This has corroborated the preliminary finding by Deputy Chief Electrical Inspector V.K. Sagar following an inspection shortly after the fire that the electrical room, where the transformer and other electrical equipment were kept, was not the point of origin of the fire.
Electrician’s statement
Electrical inspectorate officials may also visit the electrician, entrusted with work in the building, at his home shortly as he is recuperating after an accident. An inspection had revealed that while one electrical panel board was completely gutted in the fire another was partially damaged.