FIRE ACCIDENT NEAR PADMANABHASWAMI TEMPLE

FIRE ACCIDENT

NEAR PADMANABHASWAMI TEMPLE

A probe has commenced into last night's(31st,July,2011) fire that gutted a shop close to the famed Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, which is in the news after a huge treasure trove was found from its cellars. 'We have not arrived at any conclusion. But it appears to involve some mystery, going by the facts so far known,' District Collector P M Francis told reporters on visiting the spot in the East Fort area in the city. Forensic experts examined the area and collected samples for scientific analyses.

Though initially, the cause of the blaze was thought to be electrical short-circuit, power board authorities said the gutted shop did not have electrical connection. This has thrown up questions whether the fire was the handiwork of some miscreants, police said. Significantly, the fire occurred in an area that had been brought under high security cover after the discovery of
priceless treasure from the vaults of the temple recently. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said action would be taken on the matter after obtaining the Collector's report. A handicraft stall, located about 200 metres from the temple, was gutted in the fire that broke out last night. No one was injured and the fire was put out by fire tenders immediately.
The collector would submit a preliminary report on the incident along with the report of the electrical section in the court on Monday (1^st August, 2011)

                                                                                  Prof. John Kurakar