Fire Breaks Out At Mirchi Cold Storage Plant In Guntur 

Guntur: Fire broke out at Lakshmi Lavanya mirchi cold storage plant at Etukuru in Guntur in the early hours on Monday. Around 40,000 bags of mirchi is reported to be stored in 30 units in the facility. The value of the stored produce is estimated around Rs20 crore.

Electricity short circuit is believed to be the cause of fire which first erupted in the fifth floor of the 5-storied building and the entire floor was gutted in few hours. Half a dozen fire engines are pressed into service and firefighters are trying to control the blaze using additional water tankers. Generally, once the fire breaks out at cold storage plants, it would not subside until the entire produce is gutted, because of the structural limitation. That's what happened in most of the fire accidents in the past. Sometimes the fire continues for 2-3 days.

The backside wall of the building was broken to pull out at least some stock. Farmers who are already affected by several problems such as spurious seeds and insufficient irrigation are now extremely upset with the fire accident at the cold storage plant. The owners of the stored produce can claim insurance later.

The fire officials said the plant has not followed stipulated safety measures.