Fire rages in city and on outskirts, no casualties

Kolkata: Two separate incidents of fire were reported in the city and on the outskirts on Monday morning. No casualty or injuries were reported in these incidents.

The first incident took place at Barasat in North 24-Parganas at a private nursing home and the other fire incident took place at a flat in Tollygunj when the occupants were not at home.

According to the North 24-Parganas police, around 9 am the staff members of the Megacity Nursing Home situated on Jessore Road spotted smoke billowing out of a window on the first floor. The security staff members of the nursing home rushed to the spot and evacuated the floor. The patients, who were serious, were taken to a safe place.

At the first, the staff members of the nursing home tried to douse the flames but they failed. Later, three fire tenders were pressed into action. The fire was brought under control within an hour. The incident triggered panic among the patients, doctors and nurses, who ran out of the building and stood on the road.

Barasat Municipality Chairman Sunil Mukherjee rushed to the spot to supervise the rescue operation. Some of the patients were shifted to the nearby Barasat District Hospital. Mukherjee also ordered a probe in this regard.

"We had given a clearance to the nursing home authorities after examining various aspects. Another probe will be conducted to see if fire safety measures were in place. Perhaps the meter box caught fire. A major tragedy has been averted due to the prompt action by the police and fire officials," Mukherjee said.

However, the officials are yet to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.

According to the preliminary investigation, an electrical short circuit might have led to the incident. The fire personnel are examining if there were adequate fire-fighting arrangements at the hospital. According to a fire department official, there were no major damages but some electronic gadgets reportedly got destroyed.

In the second incident, a fire broke out inside a flat housed in a multi-storied building at Bijoygar in Tollygunj on Monday morning.

The occupants of the flat had gone to a temple. Local residents found smoke billowing out of the flat and informed the fire brigade. The area was covered with black smoke. The occupants of other flats also evacuated the building following the incident. Two fire tenders doused the flames and brought the situation under control. They are yet to ascertain the cause of the fire and the extent of damage.