A major disaster was averted in the Port City when 45 fishing boats were gutted at the fishing harbour late in the night on November 19 (Sunday).
The fire could be seen from a few nautical miles in the sea, and from the Simhachalam area in the city, which was located about 25-km from the fishing harbour.
The mechanised boats, which were moored alongside the jetty, had caught fire in quick succession, and the diesel tanks and LPG cylinders in each of these boats exploded within minutes due to excessive heat.