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A major fire broke out at a warehouse within the Tech Mahindra campus in Sholinganallur on Friday evening, May 14, triggering panic among employees and prompting a large-scale firefighting operation. No casualties or injuries were reported.
According to reports, thick black smoke was first noticed rising from the godown during the evening hours before flames rapidly engulfed the structure within minutes.
Emergency response systems installed on the premises were immediately activated, and initial efforts were made to contain the fire using on-site extinguishers.
Employees inside the campus were safely evacuated through alternative routes with the assistance of police personnel, officials said.
Fire tenders from multiple stations, including Thiruvanmiyur, Thoraipakkam, Medavakkam and Guindy, were rushed to the spot. Private firefighting vehicles from nearby companies also joined the operation to prevent the flames from spreading further.
Reports said the warehouse stored discarded electrical and electronic items, including old air-conditioners and damaged electric vehicles, most of which were destroyed in the fire.
Thick smoke spread across the locality for several hours, posing a major challenge for firefighters and causing concern among nearby residents and employees.
The warehouse is located inside the Tamil Nadu Electronics Corporation (ELCOT) Special Economic Zone along Chennai’s Old Mahabalipuram Road, a major IT corridor housing several technology and automobile companies with over 5,000 employees.
Officials said the fire was later brought under control, while the exact cause of the incident remains under investigation.