S.M. Street fire audit report submitted to Kozhikode city police chief

Practice of cooking food inside congested shops among reasons cited for frequent fires

The fire audit report prepared by the Special Branch with fresh suggestions to address the existing safety issues at S.M. Street has been submitted to the District Police Chief (Kozhikode city) for immediate follow-up action. The report, which was prepared by Assistant Commissioner A. Umesh after conducting a field-study, has the details of all shops and its owners who have violated building rules.

A copy of the comprehensive report will be submitted to the District Collector and district-level officers concerned. Heads of various departments are expected to summon the violators soon.

“Our main intention is to make the area safe for both customers and those who work at shops. The traders in the area have the responsibility to ensure it at any cost,” says Mr. Umesh who carried out the several week-long study. According to him, building rule violations and ignorance of fire safety rules should be addressed in the first phase.