Malappuram (Keralam) | A fire broke out at a cinema theatre in Kottappadi here in the early hours of Friday, damaging one of its two screens, fire and rescue services officials said.

The fire broke out around 4.15 am in Screen 2 of Padma Theatre, which was scheduled to release two new films on Friday.

Theatre employees noticed the fire and alerted the nearby fire station, officials said.

Soon, two fire tenders from the Malappuram Fire and Rescue Services rushed to the spot and launched firefighting operations.

The fire was brought under control after nearly an hour of efforts, officials said.

The theatre has two screens, one of which was badly damaged in the fire.

A short circuit is suspected to have caused the fire, officials said.

The timely intervention of the fire personnel prevented the flames from spreading to other parts of the theatre, officials added