A major fire broke out in the early hours of Tuesday at a popular textile shop near Town Hall in Coimbatore, triggering panic and heavy traffic congestion in one of the city’s busiest commercial areas.
The blaze erupted around 4.30 a.m. at Sri Lakshmi Silks, a clothing store owned by Babu, located in the Murugan Shopping Complex near Pothys, Big Bazaar Street, close to the Oppanakara Road–Town Hall junction. Thick smoke was seen billowing from the building’s second floor, prompting nearby security guards to alert the owner and the Fire and Rescue Services Department.
Four fire engines from different stations were immediately rushed to the spot. Firefighters used a hydraulic crane to access the upper floors and brought the flames under control after several hours of intense effort.
Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner Sivaguru Prabhakaran, IAS, and District Fire Officer P. Pulukandi personally inspected the site and oversaw the firefighting operations, along with senior civic and fire department officials.
Traffic came to a halt in the Town Hall and Big Bazaar Street area as rescue vehicles and personnel cordoned off the stretch.
No casualties were reported, though a detailed assessment of property damage is underway. The incident comes just days after a similar fire broke out in a nearby commercial complex, raising renewed concerns over fire safety in the Town Hall shopping zone
