Night-long battle as fire razes Kerala coconut oil mill

Kozhikode: A major coconut oil mill was completely gutted in a massive fire at Beypore in this district, with firefighters taking more than eight hours to bring the blaze under control, Fire and Rescue Services officials said on Monday.

The fire broke out at Renuka Oil Mill at West Mahe near Beypore around 10.30 pm on Sunday.

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According to officials, employees noticed the fire and alerted the Fire and Rescue Services.

Preliminary findings suggest the fire originated in the area where copra was stored for processing in dryers operated using firewood.

Officials suspect it may have started in the dryer before spreading rapidly to copra stocks, sacks, plastic bottles and machinery inside the factory.

A lorry parked on the premises was also completely destroyed in the blaze.

Initially, three fire tenders from the Meenchanda Fire Station were deployed.

As the fire intensified, 10 more fire tenders from nearby stations were pressed into service, officials said.

It took more than eight hours to bring the fire under control.

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Firefighters continued cooling operations on Monday by shifting copra stocks and dousing remaining hotspots to prevent the blaze from reigniting.

The mill owners told reporters that the factory had been operating for the past 26 years, producing and supplying coconut oil across Kerala besides exporting its products.

They said the machinery, copra stocks and stored oil were completely destroyed in the fire.

According to them, the factory operation ended at 7 pm on Sunday, and no employees were present when the fire started spreading.

Although the exact extent of the damage is yet to be assessed, the owners estimated the loss of over Rs seven crore.