Kolkata: Two persons were killed, one remains missing while several others were injured in a devastating fire at a marketplace in north Kolkata's Dum Dum area in the wee hours of Monday.
The fire engulfed nearly 500 shops out of which over 150 shops were completely gutted. A local branch of a nationalised bank was also consumed by the flames destroying all documents and equipment inside.
Traders estimated that losses could run into crores since the market was overstocked with goods and perishables for Saraswati Puja.
The fire was first noticed at around 1.15 A.M. at Gora Bazar – one of the oldest and busiest markets in Dum Dum. Lack of fire safety measures at the congested marketplace resulted in a minor spark spreading quickly. The situation aggravated further since the items stored in and around the area were mostly inflammable.
Initially, 22 fire tenders were pressed to service. Local police and disaster management personnel managed to rescue three people who were trapped in the blinding blaze. It took the firefighters about 11 hours to douse the flames.
Narrow lanes and illegal encroachments in the market posed added difficulties for the firemen.
Additional teams with extra water tanks were sent to assist the fire-fighters. People from nearby residential buildings were also evacuated as a safety measure.
The victims were identified as Sunil Sahu and Vicky Jha. One Mohammad Nur remains missing.
Sunil, a physically challenged person, ran an eatery in the market while Vicky assisted him. A fire services officer also sustained burn injuries.
The local police and the fire services department have begun an investigation into the cause of the fire.
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