Major fire broke out at Madurai Central theatre, which is hardly 200 metres away from Meenakshi Amman Temple.
Madurai: A massive fire broke out at the 86-year-old Central theatre near the west tower of Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple on Friday. The fire broke out at the defunct theatre around 7.30pm, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky, according to police sources. Even after nearly two hours of firefighting, only about 60% of the fire was brought under control, with operations continuing late into the night.
However, no casualties have been reported so far. Five fire and rescue services vehicles were rushed to the spot and firefighters launched efforts to contain the blaze.
Police said the theatre, which is currently used as a parking facility, also had plastic materials stored inside. Preliminary inquiries suggest that the fire may have been triggered by an electrical short circuit. The intense heat caused a portion of the building’s roof to collapse inward.
A case has been registered at Thilagar Thidal police station and an investigation is under way.