Probe into consecutive fire incidents in Pathanamthitta

The Pathanamthitta police have launched a probe into two consecutive vehicle fires that occurred on Sunday midnight.

The first incident unfolded around 11:30 p.m. when the Fire and Rescue Department received a call reporting a mini-truck on fire at the premises of an LPG gas godown in Makkamkunnu near here. Firefighters, along with local residents and the gas agency owner, quickly rushed to the scene and managed to extinguish the flames.

“ It could have been a major disaster had the fire spread to the gas godown,” said an official.

Just as the fire personnel returned, another alarm came in to alert that a school bus parked at a residential school in Makkamkunnu had caught fire. By the time the firefighters arrived, the blaze had spread inside the bus. After an intense effort, they managed to put out the fire and disconnect the bus’s battery.

The back-to-back fires, both at different locations in the same area, raised suspicions of foul play. CCTV footage from the school revealed an unidentified man loitering around the bus just before it caught fire.

Based on the finding, the police have launched an investigation to trace the individual.

Published - October 14, 2024 07:46 pm IST