India
Fire guts historic Koder House in Fort Kochi
The Indian Express··30 Sept
Koder House, a Portuguese-era mansion and landmark of Kerala's Jewish community in Fort Kochi, was gutted by fire on Tuesday night. The three-storey heritage hotel had no casualties after guests and staff were evacuated. Fire officials said the blaze began on the top floor and the cause is not yet known. Samuel S Koder renovated the building in 1905.
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What It Means For You
- A major Fort Kochi heritage hotel property has been lost pending cause inquiry.
- Wooden floors and European window panes were among features noted in coverage.
- The house stayed with the Koder family until a grandchild later sold it.
What's Happening
- Officials said flames quickly spread from the top floor through the building.
- The red-brick structure dated to the 1800s before the 1905 renovation.
- Koder ran the Cochin Electric Company and started a Fort Kochi-Ernakulam ferry.
A Cochin Jewish landmark
- The Koders emigrated to Cochin from Iraq a few centuries ago.
- Samuel S Koder, who died in 1994, also served as Netherlands honorary consul.
- The mansion blended European colonial forms with local Indo-European features.
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