A huge fire broke out in a godown belonging to Tech Mahindra in Karapakkam on the OMR Road near Sholinganallur, causing panic in the busy IT corridor of Chennai.
The fire broke out inside a godown where old computers, monitors, plastic waste and other electronic goods were stored, authorities said it started on Wednesday evening.
A thick black cloud of smoke was seen as the fire spread over the godown within minutes. Alarms were raised immediately. Staff tried to douse the fire with the in-built fire extinguishers at the building before the arrival of the firefighters.
Why Thousands Of IT Firm Employees Had To Be Evacuated ?
The fire broke out in the middle of the day in the Tech Mahindra complex and nearby office space of other IT companies, authorities had to evacuate thousands of employees through other exits to avoid panic as the smoke rose in the OMR stretch of Chennai.
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Police officials and security personnel from the company evacuated employees at the site. Emergency personnel directed employees to move away from the building. Officials from the government urged the public to stay away from the area, so that the fire tenders can pass without any hindrance on the busy IT corridor of Chennai.
The authorities said no injuries or deaths had been reported, so a successful evacuation were one of the biggest takeaways from the incident.
Areas Affected By The Chennai OMR Fire
The massive fire wreaked havoc along Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), one of the most busy technology hubs in the city. Thick smokes spread across Karapakkam and its neighboring areas, making it difficult for commuters to breathe, especially those on two-wheelers and autos.
Multiple fire tenders rushed from Thiruvanmiyur, Thoraipakkam, Medavakkam, and Guindy stations. Firefighting units from nearby companies also joined the rescue operations.
Heavy traffic clogging was also reported across the OMR corridor as the emergency vehicles kept on fighting the fire till late at night.
What Caused Massive Blaze At Tech Mahindra Godown?
Police said investigations would confirm that the fire started due to an electrical short circuit or malfunction inside the warehouse, but the exact cause is still to be confirmed by the authorities. Even though Chennai's OMR has become one of the largest technology corridors in the country, experts say that peripheral facilities such as storage units and electrical storage units escape a lot of safety scrutiny that main office buildings are subjected to.