Monday, April 4, 2011

Devastating fire at the local market

A DEVASTATING fire gutted thousands of shops in congested Burrabazaar in central Kolkata in wee hours of Saturday morning. The fire in the market spread, the flames licking their way to eight homes including multi-storeyed buildings rendering many homeless. Wall of adjacent buildings began to develop deep cracks. The losses were estimated to be in crores. There were no reports of casualties and nobody is trapped inside the burning buildings.

A probe has been ordered into the fire by the government. The detective department of the Kolkata Police and forensic experts will undertake the inquiry. Many, including the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata, who visited the spot, suspect the fire was started deliberately.

Forty-two fire engines were rushed to the spot. Fire engines had to be summoned from Panagarh Indian Air Force base in Burdwan district. Hit by a lack of ladders, which could reach up to the 13th floor, of a 15-storey building authorities had to ask the airport authorities for a special ladder. The fire spread to adjacent Nandaram market where the fourth and the eight floors caught fire. Massive traffic jams ensued. in the area. The area was teeming with crowds and the people were agitated cursing the fire personnel.

Loudspeakers were used to ask people to vacate. The Rapid Action Force was called in and senior police officials made a beeline. There were moving scenes with many weeping inconsolably. Others cursed and swore and yelled at the ministers and the Governor who visited the spot.

There were fears that two building, which were burnt down would collapse. There were allegations that the fire brigade arrived late and did not have access to enough water. In the congested Burrabazaar area the fire brigade was unable to access adequate water sources leading to the fire spreading rapidly.

Burrabazaar houses Kolkata's well-known wholesale market. Some of the buildings in the area are as old as a century. There has been mushrooming of unplanned buildings in the area thanks to real estate sharks, who have blatantly flouted every building rule laid down by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The civic body known for its corruption allowed the real estate dons to get away with the violations.

The fire broke out at 1.30 am in Tripalpatti, a wholesale market for plastic tarpaulins on Jamunalal Bajaj Street in all probability from a short circuit The fire spread rapidly because of the huge stocks of plastic tarpaulins, polythene, and textile. The state's Fire minister Pratim Chatterjee alleged that the traders had stored inflammable articles illegally in the congested area. He said in an old city like Kolkata such fires were difficult to prevent but fortunately lives had not been lost. The West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi echoed him and said while there have been huge losses but lives had not been lost. Apart from the Governor, the state's Finance minister Asim Dasgupta visited the fire site.

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