A major fire broke out at the production unit of the the State-run Kerala Paper Products Limited (KPPL) at Velloor on Thursday evening.
Preliminary reports suggested that the fire broke out near the paper machine around 6 p.m. and soon spread to more areas. On an alert, a Fire and Rescue Services team from Kaduthuruthy rushed to the spot. The team was soon joined by fire tenders from Vaikom as well.
Eyewitness accounts suggested that plumes of thick black smoke continued to billow out of the factory till late on the day. The fire, meanwhile, was doused within an hour. No persons were injured.
The police said steps were on to ascertain the damage to the machinery as well as the cause of fire.