Kolkata: Efforts to douse Bagree Market fire still underway, likely to continue for few more hours
Kolkata, Sept 16 (IBNS): Over 13 hours after a massive fire broke out in a multi-storey commercial complex in central Kolkata's Bagree Market area, as many as 30 fire tenders are currently engaged to bring the blaze under control, according to reports.
Director General (DG) of West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services, Jagmohan, visited the scene on Sunday afternoon and said that it would take at least 48 more hours to douse the massive fire completely.
"It's a huge fire and firefighting operation has become more difficult here as several inflammable objects are stored inside the multi-storey," Fire services DG Jagmohan told IBNS.
"Our men are trying their best fearlessly to bring the blaze under control and we are expecting that it will take 48 more hours to douse the blaze completely," Jagmohan said.
"No civilian has been injured so far in the incident while two of our firemen were minorly hurt during firefighting operations," the official added.
Local businessmen and residents, however, demanded deployment of Indian Army's firefighting unit to extinguish the blaze as early as possible.
"It's been more than 12 hours since the fire has started and state fire department could not douse the blaze as they have shortage of modern equipment to fight such huge fire incidents," a local trader told IBNS.
"We are demanding deployment of Indian Army's special fire extinguishing team here because they use foam to bring fire under control and usage of foam is very much necessary in this situation," he added.
Earlier at around 2:30 am. on Sunday, a major fire broke out on the ground floor of six-storey Mehta Building at Bagree Market under Hare Street Police Station limits in central Kolkata's Canning Street area and it spread to other floors quickly.
Senior officials of city police and fire and emergency services department, and Kolkata Mayor and state fire services minister Sovan Chatterjee visited the scene on Sunday early morning.
"Firefighters are trying their best to douse the blaze and prevent the fire from spreading to neighbouring buildings," Sovan Chatterjee told IBNS.
"After bringing the fire under control, we will probe into the reason behind the massive blaze," Chatterjee said.
A fire and emergency services official said that the fire might have started due to a short-circuit in an electricity distribution box inside the building.
According to locals, hundreds of shops inside the building have been gutted completely due to the fire.
"Just a month before Durga puja, products and machinery worth several crore rupees have been gutted in the major fire outbreak," a trader told IBNS.
Meanwhile, to assist fire and emergency services department in firefighting operations, Kolkata Traffic Police had closed several nearby roads, including Rabindra Sarani in between M.G. Road & Podder Court and Canning Street in between Brabourne Road & Rabindra Sarani, to vehicular traffic.
(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
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