Massive fire at five-storey Traders Assembly building in south Kolkata

  • | Sunday | 20th January, 2019

A major fire broke out early Sunday at a five-storey building in southern Kolkata, gutting goods worth lakhs and destroying multiple shops next to the building, a senior fire department official said. Earlier, a fire department official had said that a blast in a transformer could have started the fire. At least 19 fire tenders had been pressed into service to douse the fire at Traders Assembly building in Gariahat area after it was noticed around 1 am. “The building does not have an elevator and people had to climb downstairs to escape the fire,” the official said. The building houses a garment store on the ground and first floor and residential apartments on the floors above, the official told PTI.

A major fire broke out early Sunday at a five-storey building in southern Kolkata, gutting goods worth lakhs and destroying multiple shops next to the building, a senior fire department official said. At least 19 fire tenders had been pressed into service to douse the fire at Traders Assembly building in Gariahat area after it was noticed around 1 am. The building houses a garment store on the ground and first floor and residential apartments on the floors above, the official told PTI. All families have been evacuated from the building and no one was injured in the fire, the official said, adding that some people had to be taken to hospital after they complained of breathing problems. “The building does not have an elevator and people had to climb downstairs to escape the fire,” the official said. The exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, but it seems that fire from a shop on the footpath adjoining the building led to the incident, he said. “At the moment, the fire has been brought under control. Our men are fighting tooth and nail to douse the fire pockets,” the official said, adding that traffic movement has been temporarily restricted in the area. Earlier, a fire department official had said that a blast in a transformer could have started the fire. State Fire Minister Sujit Bose visited the site earlier in the day. A team of forensic experts and senior officials of Kolkata Police Disaster Management Group have also reached the site to collect samples for an investigation into the incident.

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

NYOOOZ FRIEND

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.


Stay updated with all the Kolkata Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.

Related Articles