Baranagore fire: Forensic experts to visit spot

A team of forensic experts will visit the Saketnagar area of Baranagore on Monday to find out the exact cause of fire at the plastic godown.

A devastating fire broke out at the godown on Saturday morning. Though no one was injured the cause of the fire and the extent of damage are yet to be ascertained. 

Senior officials of the state Fire and Emergency services department went to the spot and supervised the dousing operation.  Local people saw smoke billowing out from one corner of the godown and informed the fire brigade. Fire fighters came and doused the flame.  Senior officials of the fire and emergency services department said that smoke coming out from one place or the other after a major fire was not unusual. However, they inspected the area and said that the fire was completely under control. Twenty one fire tenders had been deployed to bring the flame under control. Water cannon and foam were also used.  The godown where the fire broke out is situated on the third floor of a four storyed building.  There were also other godowns in the house. The building is over four decades old and the godowns have been operating since then.  Fire department officials said that no fire-fighting equipment had been installed to combat accident. 

The Baranagore municipality will now find whether the godown had trade license and why fire fighting gadgets, which are mandatory, had not been installed there. Tapas Roy, local Trinamool MLA went to the spot and held talks with senior officials of fire services department and police.  He said that in many areas godowns had been set up in residential areas. “They have been functioning for over three decades. In those days the building rules were not as stringent and the civic bodies were also lenient.”