Footwear factory gutted in blaze in Malappuram

Kozhikode: A footwear factory at Aravankara near Pookottur in Malappuram was gutted in a major fire on Friday. The fire was reported around 11.45am on Friday at Foot Well, a footwear manufacturing unit located on the Aravankara–Mini Ooty road. As many as 11 fire tenders from nine stations across Malappuram and Kozhikode, along with a unit from Kozhikode airport, were pressed into service to douse the blaze. The blaze was brought under full control after hours of effort. Later, the roof was removed using an earth mover to completely extinguish the remaining flames. Firefighters worked for nearly six hours to contain the incident. The extent of the loss is being assessed. Fire and rescue services personnel suspect that an electrical short circuit may have triggered the blaze, though the exact cause will be confirmed only after a detailed examination by the electrical inspectorate.