Meter boxes of highrise catch fire at Rashbehari

Kolkata: A fire broke out inside the ground floor of a highrise at Rashbehari Avenue on Sunday morning.

The fire initially broke out at the places where meter boxes were installed on the ground floor of the five-storeyed building.

Panic broke out as there were sounds of explosion and the flames threatened to spread fast. Locals reported the matter to the police and the Fire and Emergency Services department. Two fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames. As meter boxes caught fire, locals could not initiate the work to douse the flames. Fire fighters reached the spot and initiated the work. The fire damaged a car that was parked nearby.

There was panic in the area as many elderly people reside in the highrise. At the same time, there was a storeroom packed with cooking gas cylinders. Hence, the fire fighters ensured that the flames do not spread to the store room.

Police had cordoned off the area and helped the fire fighters to carry out their work.