Tamil Nadu fire safety check: Short circuits in a fire-safe state

The fourth part of the series on fire safety talks about Tamil Nadu's building norms and the violations

It’s a Friday that P Ramasamy would like to forget. Ramasamy, who runs Jayam Metal Finishers, a micro-level automobile ancillary unit in the SIDCO Industrial Estate at Kakkalur on the outskirts of Chennai, recalls the fire that broke out in a neighbouring factory on May 31. 

The factory, Zen Paints and Chemicals, packed with inflammable painting material and chemicals, turned into ashes in a matter of time. The fire claimed four lives.

A short circuit was the cause of the fire at Zen Paints, which has been operating here for the last seven years. "In the blast, the windows of