Fire at coconut fibre unit near Gudiyatham

A coconut fibre making unit in Indira Nagar near Gudiyatham town in Vellore was gutted in a fire on Saturday.

Police said it was around 11.30 a.m when a few residents in the village saw smoke in the unit. They informed K. Baskaran, 52, owner of the coconut unit. On being informed, the Gudiyatham Town police rushed to the spot. Fire and Rescue Services were informed.

“Fire could have been caused due to an electrical short circuit in the electrical junction box in the unit,” police said. Initial inquiry revealed that more than 40 tons of coconut fibre were left on the rear side of the unit a few weeks ago to dry. Once dry, the coconut fibre will be separated from the shell and transported to a coir making unit in Kerala. 

Fire fighters were able to douse the fire in the godown, and a case was registered by the police. A probe is under way.