Fire breaks out at a shoe manufacturing factory in Tangra

Kolkata: A fire broke out at a shoe manufacturing factory on 11 New Tangra Road on late Wednesday night.

The locals spotted smoke billowing out of the factory at around 2 am and informed the matter to the fire brigade. They initially tried to douse the flames but failed to reach the source of the fire as thick black smoke covered the entire area.

As the shoe manufacturing unit is situated in a congested area, the incident also triggered tension among the residents. After being informed, the fire tenders rushed to the spot and started dousing the flames on a war footing. The locals said they saw smoke coming out of the factory. When they reached the spot they found that the entire area of the leather manufacturing unit was in flames. They also added that the fire soon engulfed the area.

After being informed, the police and the fire personnel reached the spot. Around 15 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames. The fire fighters initially faced difficulties as the room that had caught fire was filled with smoke. After a number of attempts, they were able to restrict the fire from spreading to other parts.

The power connection to the factory was immediately disconnected. The police evacuated the adjoining area to check any untoward incident. According to a fire official, the situation was brought under control at around 4 am on Thursday.

According to preliminary investigation, fire officials suspect that a huge amount of inflammable materials were stored inside the factory which had aggravated the situation. They also suspect that an electrical short circuit might have led to the fire. The officials are yet to ascertain the exact cause of the fire and the extent of damage.