Apollo’s Kalamassery plant damaged by fire

A fire broke out in the mixing department of Apollo Tyres’ Kalamassery on the evening of 2 September. According to a company statement, nobody was injured in the blaze. Fire crews battled the fire for several hours before gaining the upper hand, and machinery and rubber is said to have been destroyed. Apollo says the unit will be out of commission several days. In the meantime, alternative arrangements for supplying mixed compound have been made.

The Kalamassery plant produces truck and bus tyres plus agricultural and industrial tyres. Daily capacity is said to be 100 tonnes. Last month Apollo chairman Onkar S. Kanwar stated that Rs 3 billion (£34 million) would be invested in the factory over the next two years in order to make it a production centre for export industrial tyres; these products are expected to be sold in Europe and the Americas.