Early on Thursday, a massive fire destroyed a three-storey plastic recycling factory in Thamarassery, Kozhikode district, Kerala. Firefighters from nearby rural stations battled the flames for about three hours before dousing them. Though the factory employs over 80 laborers, only a few were working on New Year's Eve. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Along with the factory, a pickup van parked on site was also destroyed. Some workers blamed "reckless" firecracker burning by local people for triggering the fire, which began around 12:30 a.m. Fire and Rescue Services officials said they have not confirmed the cause yet. They plan to conduct a detailed inspection soon, with help from the Electrical Inspectorate experts.