Fire at Thrissur railway station parking guts hundreds of two-wheelers, probe ordered

Thrissur: A massive fire broke out at the paid parking area of Thrissur railway station early Sunday, gutting hundreds of two-wheelers, officials from the Fire and Rescue Services said.

According to the police FIR, around 500 two-wheelers were destroyed in the blaze. However, Southern Railway said in a statement that about 250 vehicles were damaged.

The fire erupted at around 6.20 am at the parking shed and the fire force received a distress call about 20 minutes later. Five fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and the flames were brought under control by around 7.45 am.

Initial assessments by police and fire officials suggested that the fire may have started after a spark from an electric line fell on a two-wheeler that was covered with a protective sheet. The Railways, however, clarified that the fire did not originate from overhead equipment or any railway electrical installation. According to Southern Railway, preliminary findings indicate that the fire began from one of the parked two-wheelers.

Officials said nearly 500 two-wheelers were parked in the shed at the time of the incident, and most of them were completely gutted. The tin-sheet-covered parking shed was also destroyed in the fire.

Firefighters managed to prevent the flames from spreading to the station platforms, avoiding further damage. Southern Railway said a departmental tower wagon in the yard was briefly affected by external flames but was quickly attended to and moved to a safe location.

Both police and railway authorities have launched separate investigations to determine the exact cause of the fire. Although the parking area was under CCTV surveillance, the CCTV control unit and hard disk were damaged in the blaze and have been handed over to the police for examination.

Thrissur West Police have registered a case in connection with the incident. The FIR also noted that a parking fee printing machine, two mobile phones belonging to employees of Aswathy Enterprises-the agency operating the parking facility-and about Rs 10,000 in cash were destroyed in the fire.

State Police chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar visited the site and said a special investigation team led by an additional superintendent of police has been formed. The team also includes an assistant commissioner and circle inspectors.

He said the state police have decided to conduct fire safety audits at paid parking facilities across Kerala. The superintendent of police (Railway) has been tasked with submitting a report, and steps will be taken to strengthen coordination between the local police, railway police and the Railway Protection Force.

Revenue minister K Rajan also visited the spot and said a detailed audit would be carried out to prevent such incidents in the future.

Southern Railway said the parking agency has set up a help desk and assistance centre at the site to support owners of damaged vehicles and help with insurance and claim-related procedures. A helpline number has also been issued, and further updates will be shared after the investigation is completed.

(with inputs from agencies)