Fire at coconut fibre unit near Gudiyatham

A coconut fiber manufacturing unit at Indira Nagar near Gudiyatham town in Vellore was completely gutted in a fire on Saturday.

Police said it was around 11.30am when several residents in the village saw smoke in the unit. They informed 52-year-old K. Başkaran, the owner of the coconut business. Upon being informed, Gudiyatham Town police rushed to the scene. Fire and Rescue Services were informed.

“The fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit in the electrical junction box in the unit,” police said. Initial investigation revealed that more than 40 tonnes of coconut fiber had been left to dry at the back of the unit several weeks ago. Once dried, the coconut fiber will be separated from the husk and transported to a coconut fiber making unit in Kerala.

Firefighters managed to extinguish the fire and the incident was registered by the police. An investigation is ongoing.