Kozhikode: A major fire broke out at an Asian Paints outlet on Airport Road in Ramanattukara on Sunday afternoon, destroying paint stock worth an estimated ₹1.5 crore and cash amounting to around ₹9.35 lakh.

According to the shop owner, the fire started at around 1 pm. Shopkeepers in the surrounding area were the first to notice the flames and immediately alerted the Fire and Rescue Services.

Four fire engines were deployed to the scene, and firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control after nearly an hour of effort. The owner said almost everything inside the shop was destroyed, with only a few paint tins kept on display escaping damage.

He also claimed that cash worth ₹9,35,000 was reduced to ashes in the fire. Explaining why such a large amount had been kept at the shop, the owner said the banks had been closed over the weekend, on Saturday and Sunday.

As it was a Sunday, the outlet had operated for only an hour in the morning before being shut. The owner added that he had already locked the shop and returned home when employees from a nearby shop informed him about the fire.

ALSO READ | Kerala IAS officer’s reform ideas spark debate after UDF election win