A major fire broke out on Tuesday at the historic Koder House in Fort Kochi, a landmark of the city's Jewish heritage. The incident prompted fire, Navy and rescue personnel to rush to the iconic building and put out the fire.
According to latest information, fire service personnel have brought the blaze under control.
The Southern Naval Command said defence fire tenders from INS Dronacharya, INS Venduruthy and INS Garuda assisted in the firefighting operation.
Scary visuals from the spot shows the building being engulfed in orange and deep yellow flames, with firefighters trying to douse the blaze.
Massive blaze at Kochi hotel; operations underway to douse fire @journalistaswin reports pic.twitter.com/4Awm1Xo2k5
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The brick-red Koder House its history to the 19th century, and currently operates as a boutique hotel. It is one of the most iconic landmarks of Fort Kochi.
Fire and Rescue Services personnel from various stations in and around Fort Kochi were engaged in the operation to douse the fire.
The blaze started at around 6:50 pm at the historic three-storeyed building on Tower Road. According to officials, a short circuit has likely caused the fire.
The extent of damage to the historic building is yet to be known. Kochi Mayor KJ Sohan said the loss cannot be measured in monetary terms, given the building's historical significance.
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Located on Tower Road in Fort Kochi, Koder House is a heritage building built in the Indo-Portuguese style. The building represents the historical legacy of the Jewish community in Kochi and the Coder family.
Built in the 19th century, Koder house was originally a Portuguese mansion. In 1905, Samuel S Koder, a member of the prominent Cochin Jewish family, bought the building. He then renovated it to give it the distinctive Indo-European architectural character that is seen today.
The building remained with the Jewish family until Koder's grandchildren sold it.
The iconic Koder House features wooden floors, carved furniture, glass-paned windows and verandahs, giving it its distinctive look. The glass of the sea-facing windows are believed to be imported from Belgium. Floors of the building arranged in a chessboard pattern.
(With PTI inputs)
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