Fire in Kolkata’s Bagri Market Continues to Rage, Collapse Feared as Cracks Emerge in Building

Efforts are on from the disaster management group of Kolkata Police and civil defence unit to help douse the flames, stated reports.

New Delhi: About 35 fire tenders and 250 firemen have been trying to douse the fire in Kolkata’s Bagri market in Canning Street, which erupted on Sunday. The fire accident that occurred in the multi-storeyed building spread quickly due to the presence of inflammable stock. The fire also destroyed 400 shops in the area and black smokes are visible from the building. While the fire has spread to the west and the front parts of the building, the cracks that have appeared cause apprehension of collapse any time.

Deputy Fire Director of Kolkata Tusar Kanti Sen reportedly said, “We’ve reached from ground to top floor & have succeeded in containing the fire but due to the presence of chemical there, it’s difficult to contain pockets of fire inside.” The firefighters tried their best to douse the flame by spraying water on the building from six directions. An official from the fire department reportedly said, “Water scarcity is a problem here. If there was a water supply from this area we could have fought the fire in a much better manner. Supplying water has been a problem as it is brought from nearby supplies.” The overhead tangled wires were patiently cut by the fire personnel to bring in one hydraulic ladder in order to fight the fire. The accident occurred on Sunday and is still not under control. No injuries have been reported so far.

West Bengal: Latest visuals from Kolkata’s Bagree market on Canning Street where a fire broke out yesterday morning. Firefighting operation is still underway as the fire continues to rage in some parts of the building. pic.twitter.com/9i31fHoZ9p

— ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2018

Mayor of Kolkata Sovan Chatterjee reportedly said on Sunday, “The fire broke out at 2.45 am. We are trying our best, but firefighting operation is tough here because of the number of buildings. No injuries have been reported.” Efforts are on from the disaster management group of Kolkata Police and civil defence unit to help douse the flames, stated reports.

West Bengal: Latest visuals from Kolkata’s Bagree market on Canning Street where a fire had broken out yesterday morning. Fire fighting operation is still underway as fire continues to rage in some parts of the building. pic.twitter.com/qFBC0s5JnP

— ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2018

While the cause of the fire has not been ascertained yet, the Kolkata Traffic Police has ensured safety measures by closing the roads around the area. Assuring a thorough investigation on the accident, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee told ANI, “My officials are working on it. Even the mayor has reached the spot. No casualties have been reported yet, and nobody is trapped inside the building. Though this kind of incident is not in our hands, an investigation will be done.”

(With inputs from agencies)