Ghatakpukur fire: Compensation of Rs 2L each to next of kin of deceased

Kolkata: Three persons were killed in a fire that broke out at Ghatakpukur Bazar area of South 24-Parganas early Saturday morning, officials said.

The district administration provided compensations of Rs 2 lakh each to the kins of the deceased. A proposal for compensation to the damaged materials has been sent to the state government. According to the local administrations, the victims had died due to suffocation.

Minister of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, Firhad Hakim visited the spot to take stock. Senior officials including the local BDO, SDO and the police officers also rushed to the spot. Three fire tenders were swung into action to douse the flame.

Preliminary investigation suggests that a short circuit might have caused the blaze inside a kerosene outlet at the bazaar in Bhangar. Kerosene drums which were stocked there started exploding as result the blaze spread to the adjacent eateries and shops.

The owner of an eatery along with two teenagers who went inside the shop in order to save some valuables were trapped inside the shop and eventually died. It took around five hours for the fire tenders to douse the flame. According to the preliminary investigations, goods worth rupees few lakh were damaged in the fire. A detailed probe has been initiated.