Fire breaks out at thermocol factory in Howrah

A thermocol factory in Howrah was completely gutted by a fire that broke out inside a store room on Monday morning.

The local people spotted smoke billowing out of the factory and informed the fire brigade. The area was soon covered with thick smoke. Six fire tenders were put to douse the flame. 

The incident had triggered tension in Tulsiberia area of Uluberia this morning. Local people said that they heard explosions in the factory. The fire soon engulfed the entire factory. The factory staff fled from the spot when fire spread inside the factory. No one was injured in the incident. 

The factory is situated in a congested area. The locals came out of their house and shops after the incident. They helped the fire fighters to douse the flame. The fire engines brought the situation under control after two hours. 

According to the preliminary investigation, the fire brigade officials said that huge amount of inflammable materials were stocked in the factory. The local residents initially tried to douse the flame but failed to do so as the area was covered with black smoke. The fire brigade officials are examining if the factory had proper licenses. 

The fire department also said that the factory did not have adequate fire safety arrangement. Preliminary investigation suggests that an electrical short circuit may have led to the fire. Though, they are yet to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.

“We’ll make a report on this incident. The factory had illegally stocked inflammable materials and did not take any precautionary measures. An electrical short circuit might have caused the fire. The extent of the damage is yet to be ascertained,” said a fire brigade officer.