The Hindu : Front Page : Fire in Kolkata market destroys 2,000 shops

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Sunday, Jan 13, 2008
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Fire in Kolkata market destroys 2,000 shops

Staff Reporter

It may be controlled only by Sunday morning

Complex deals in readymade garments, synthetic cloth
Fires frequent in the area: Minister

Kolkata: A devastating fire destroyed over 2,000 shops and property worth crores in the Burrabazar area, a wholesale trading hub here, on Saturday.

However, there was no casualty in the blaze, which started around 1 a.m. and continued to rage late into the evening.

14-storey complex engulfed

It broke out in the Tripalpatti area, a market place trading in tarpaulin sheets, and spread soon, engulfing the 14-storey Nandaram market complex and seven other buildings nearby, with the thick billowing smoke visible from a distance.

More than 45 fire tenders from the State Fire Services department were battling the flames that leapt out of the windows of the multistorey structure, while a portion of one of the smaller buildings collapsed. An additional seven fire tenders, procured from the Army and Air Force bases, were also pressed into action, a defence spokesperson said.

Traders made frantic attempts throughout the day to salvage goods from the Nandaram complex, which mainly dealt in readymade garments, cotton and synthetic cloth, plastic goods, including buttons and zippers, and tarpaulin sheets.

“The fire might be controlled only by Sunday morning,” said Pratim Chatterjee, West Bengal Fire Services Minister. “There are numerous rooms inside the building and several pockets and we do not know what exactly is stored there.” He said the building was an unauthorised construction. Finance Minister Ashim Dasgupta, who visited the site, said such incidents were occurring at a regular frequency in the area and the reasons must be found out. Steps would be taken to improve the fire services equipment which proved unequal to the task.

Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya also visited the site. Forensic experts were called in to investigate the fire. Affected traders estimated the approximate losses at a few hundred crores. “We must also take into account the damage caused by water jets, as drenched cloth material has no value,” said B.D. Mimani, secretary of a traders’ organisation. Others lamented that corrective measures were never adopted after such incidents.

Traffic was disrupted, especially on the Howrah Bridge and other approach roads leading to the area, inconveniencing commuters throughout the day.

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