Fire at Park Street restaurant in Kolkata, no one injured

Kolkata: A major fire broke out in a restaurant in the Park Street area of central Kolkata on Tuesday, triggering panic among local people, an official said.

No casualty was reported in the incident, he said.

At least nine fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze, which was first spotted around 10.50 am, the official said, adding that a disaster management team was also deployed.

The fire broke out at the restaurant adjacent to a multi-storied building on Park Street. Thick smoke and flames were seen billowing from the higher floors of the structure, a part of which was covered with tin sheets that got destroyed.

People from nearby residential buildings and offices came out on the street in fear.

Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control, and they are still working as the cooling-off process is underway, Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose said.

The cause of the fire will be ascertained after a forensic investigation, he said, adding that the authorities will examine whether the restaurant owner had followed safety regulations or not.

Asked about the part of the structure built with tin sheets, Bose said the fire services department doesn't have any say in it.