One firefighter injured in Kolkata's Bagri Market blaze, Mamata says 'fire can always break out'

A massive fire broke out at central Kolkata’s Bagri Market in the wee hours of Sunday. The fire reportedly started at 2.30 am on the ground floor of the five-storeyed building and quickly spread on the floors above.

As many as 30 fire tenders have been rushed to the spot but they are facing trouble in bringing the fire under control because the area is extremely congested. The entire area has been covered with thick black smoke. Officials of the fire department, Disaster Management Group and Civil Defence have been pressed in to contain the situation. One firefighter has been injured while trying to arrest the fire and has been admitted to Calcutta Medical College.

Mayor and state fire minister Sovan Chatterjee and commissioner of Kolkata Police Rajeev Kumar rushed to the spot. “The area is congested and firefighters have been facing a lot of trouble trying to bring it under control. They are risking their lives trying to put out the fire,” Chatterjee said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that fire minister and CP has reached the spot and there had been no death reported.”A fire can always break out. I have reports that there has been no casualty and no one is trapped inside. Fire brigade officials are working hard. It will be brought under control soon,” she said.

Fire fighters used gas cutters to cut through the shutters and grilles to get access from outside. Intermittent sounds of explosions were heard since the fire broke out. Owing to the heat generated, cracks have appeared on the walls of the market. Although security guards along with their families lived at the top floor of the building, there had been no casualty reported so far and the extent of loss of property was yet to be ascertained. Firefighters are trying hard to prevent the fire to spread on to the adjoining residential buildings. They are trying to spray water into the market from the opposite building.

Flames were seen coming out of shop windows even 9 hours after the fire started. The wholesale market at 71 Canning Street houses over 400 shops of which most are medicine shops and cosmetic shops.Ahead of Durga Puja, the biggest festival of Bengal, shop owners had stacked goods and losses are anticipated to run up to crores.

Area locals alleged that fire tenders had come in late but fire brigade authorities brushed aside the allegations. The building, built in 1955, was initially three-storeyed and later two more floors had been added to the building.

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