Tamil Nadu: Chennai Silks showroom catches fire in Villupuram

VILLUPURAM: The Chennai Silks showroom in Villupuram caught fire on Thursday evening. No casualty was reported in the incident. According to sources, the four-storey showroom is located near the Villupuram-Tiruchy NH near Vazhudareddy.

The building that houses a jewellery showroom, provisional store, hotel besides Chennai Silks witnesses more than 1,000 footfalls everyday and around 250 employees work.

The incident took place around 7 pm after an electrical fluctuation was allegedly reported from the hotel’s kitchen at the basement. Soon, black smoke spread to all floors creating panic. The customers and the workers ran helter skelter and safely exited the building.

On information, the fire and rescue service personnel rushed to the spot and after a two-hour struggle put out the fire.

Some of the workers of the Chennai Silks expressed concern over the safety in case of emergencies and urged the district administration to conduct an inspection in the showroom to check for safety measures.

Villupuram SP S Jeyakumar confirmed that there were no casualties in the incident, adding that a thorough investigation is needed to find the reason for the fire and safety concerns would be addressed.

Public relation officer of Chennai Silks Villupuram, Prabhu, could not be reached for comments. This is not the fire incident for the brand. On May 31, 2017, fire engulfed the seven-storey Chennai Silks building in T Nagar, Chennai. The fire destroyed all the goods in the showroom and the building crumbled after burning for a day.

Workers express safety concerns