Chennai Silks fire: Police register ‘accidental fire’ case

A major portion of seven-storeyed Chennai Silks building on Usman Road in T.Nagar, crumbled during the early hours of June 1, 2017, after a major fire engulfed the building on Wednesday.

On Wednesday the fire destroyed all goods stocked in the showroom. Almost 32 hours later, the fire brigade are still attempting to control the flames. The fire was triggered time and again thereby causing the front portion of the building to entirely collapse.

Usman Road area has been barricaded and public and media are not allowed near the scene where mangled remains of the gutted building are seen.

Revenue Minister R.B.Udayakumar who was at the location to supervise the fire rescue operation said that the area has been



declared as ‘sterile zone’. "We are taking all efforts to ensure safety of buildings located adjacent to Chennai Silks. We have constituted an expert committee to inspect the spot and suggest measures to demolish the remaining structure in a secure fashion. The demolishing will be undertaken by the government. We will make all arrangement for smooth running of businesses in T.Nagar," said Mr.Udayakumar.

Meanwhile the city police registered a case by calling it an accidental fire. The cause of accident is yet to be investigated with help of forensic experts, said a senior official of the city police.

The initial investigation revealed that some barrels of diesel to be used for power generators were stocked in the basement.