Fire at Birla Tyres

India’s fifth largest tyre manufacturer, Birla Tyres suffered a fire at its plant in Orissa’s Balasore district on Saturday 3 February, causing damage to its chemical stocks. The fire was attributed to a possible short circuit, which engulfed the dye unit of the plant.

According to local reports the fire was brought under control within three hours with the help of the fire brigade. Two fire tenders attended the scene while a fire engine belonging to the company was also pressed into service to control the flames.

Though the exact amount of damage has not yet be ascertained, company authorities said carbons, chemicals and rubbers worth some hundreds of thousands of rupees were gutted. The seriousness of the incident was described as both “minor” and “major” by local news sources.

The accidental fire in the Birla Tyres Ltd unit at Chhanpur, on the outskirts of the district headquarter of Balasore, broke out at around 11:00 a.m., while hundreds of labourers were at work.