Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 3 (IANS): At least two people were killed on Tuesday after a massive fire broke out in an office of the New India Assurance, a public-sector general insurance company, at Pappanamcode, in the state capital.

One of the deceased has been identified as Vyshna (35), an employee of the New India Insurance Company. The other person is said to be a man whose identity is yet to be ascertained.

The owner of the portal office, Moni said it could be a customer who would have come to the office for his insurance needs.

Moni, who has two franchisee outlets in the city, said for the past seven years Vayshna has been working at the office and she was singlehandedly managing the office.

The portal (franchisee) office is located on the first-floor building in Pappanamcode.

The locals said they heard a loud noise followed by a huge blaze.

The fire department received the alert around 1.30 p.m. and rushed to the site. The exact cause of the fire is not yet confirmed. "Two units were sent from the Chenkalchoola fire station immediately upon receiving the information...We are investigating the cause of the fire,” said a fire force officer. The fire force officer said that the blaze had been doused but the cooling operation was continuing.

State Education Minister V.Sivankutty in whose constituency the office was located, however, said the preliminary findings were that it could perhaps be a short circuit problem and the police have commenced its probe.

There was panic in other offices of the building as well as the area. The officers were seen assuring the people.

The police have also started an investigation into the case after Moni said that his staff member, Vyshna, had some family problems, but was not sure of what it was. Following this, the police are looking into other angles too.