Six cars gutted in Kotturpuram

CHENNAI: Occupants of apartments in the upmarket Kotturpuram area were shell-shocked as six cars, parked beneath the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) railway station, went up in flames on Tuesday. The fire accident also partially damaged another car, while a two-wheeler was also gutted. Local residents use the paid parking lot at the MRTS station, considered to be a safe zone, to park their SUVs and cars for protection against damage by strangers.“At times, thieves do away with electronic equipment from the cars parked on the road,” Gunasekaran, a resident of Kotturpuram, whose car was partially charred in the accident, said. With independent houses converted into high-rise flats in the posh area, the occupants owning multiple cars scout for space to park their vehicles. This has driven them to the MRTS parking lot, which offers space for parking 55 cars at any given time at a reasonable rent of `800 per month. However, the fire has puzzled many. According to security in-charge of the parking lot Chandran, smoke emanated from a SUV at 4.30 am. “Immediately, I alerted the railway authorities and did not return to the lot, following loud noises emerging after the blast,” he said and added, “But, I hadn’t noticed anything unusual during my morning rounds at 3 am.” Senthil Kumar, inspector, Railway Police, Egmore, ruled out the possibility of sabotage and said short circuit from one of the cars could have caused the fire.