Inferno breaks out at Rajabazar Chalpatty, multi-storey building gutted

Kolkata: A major fire broke out at Rajabazar Chalpatty market on Sunday afternoon. No one was reported injured. The inferno damaged a four-storied building adjacent to the market.

On Sunday at around 2 pm, locals noticed smoke was billowing out of the closed fruit market located on Gas Street. Immediately, Narkeldanga police station and fire brigade were informed. Within 10 minutes seven fire tenders were pressed into action. Also, a Disaster Management Group (DMG) team along with huge police force were sent to the spot.

As the area is congested and thick smoke had covered it, firefighters faced difficulties while spraying water and trying to reach the source of the fire. Before firefighters could enter the market, it had started spreading. Several people leaving in the vicinity fell ill due to the smoke. They were evacuated from the area soon. Meanwhile, three more fire tenders were sent to the spot in order to douse the fire quickly.

As firefighters were not able to enter the temporary market place, they started spraying water from the multistoried building adjacent to the fire gutted market. After almost an hour, firefighters were able to restrict the fire within a specific area inside the market. But till then a building close to the market place was damaged due to the fire.

Following this, firefighters entered the temporary market and sprayed water in order to douse the fire completely. After half an hour, the fire was extinguished.

Later, the cooling process went on for almost another half an hour. Sources informed that the fire took a bad shape due to the use of inflammable objects to set up the temporary shops. It is suspected that the fire may have broken out at a glue manufacturing unit.

After getting the information, state Fire minister Sujit Bose went to the spot and took stock of the situation.