Many shops gutted in blaze

CHENNAI: Several shops were reduced to ashes in a fire that broke out at Moore Market in the wee hours of Monday.According to what  D N Velayudhan Nair, Divisional Officer (North), told Express, about 100-150 shops and godowns are lined up along the stretch of road behind Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Stadium. The fire broke out in one shop and it spread rapidly as they stored scrap items, rubber products such as tyres, shoes and hose pipes and condemned articles, he said. After the fire control room received the call around 1.15 am, nine fire engines from several stations, including Esplanade, Triplicane, Kilpauk and Washermenpet, and three Metro water tenders rushed to the spot.  The narrow and congested streets made accessibility difficult. Besides, there were no electric lights.  “However, within half an hour, we brought the fire under control,” the fire officer said.  Since the material that was on fire was rubber products, the fire-fighters resorted to putting out the blaze through the blanketing method - spraying foam on the flames to cut off the oxygen supply.