People crowd outside Oberon Mall in Kochi, where a major fire broke out on Tuesday. Josekutty J PanackalA fire broke out at a popular mall near here but all people inside were safely evacuated, police said Tuesday. No casualties were reported.
The blaze was reported from the fourth floor of the Oberon Mall at nearby Edapally, which was brought under control by the Fire and Rescue Services personnel, they said.
A collage shows people outside Oberon mall as fire force personnel gear up to fight the blaze. Josekutty J PanackalPeople who were in the mall, mostly to watch movies, were evacuated. "The blaze has been controlled and people in the mall and multiplex have been safely evacuated," Kochi police commissioner M.P. Dineshan told reporters.
There is lot of smoke inside the structure and glass panes were broken to release the fumes, he said, adding, that the cause of the fire would be probed.
The blaze was first reported around 11.15 am on Tuesday, setting off the fire alarm and all the people and workers were immediately evacuated. As the mall had just opened for the day, there weren't too many people in the building. However, the movie theaters were nearly full. These people were also immediately evacuated.
No one is believed to be trapped inside the mall.
A fire department official said the flames were suspected to have erupted from a kitchen duct. The mall houses a food court on the fourth floor and some mobile and textile shops.
