Kolkata: 30-hours on, Bagri Market fire still rages; operation underway
What's the story
A massive fire broke out in Bagri market of Kolkata on Sunday, and firefighters are still struggling to contain it. Reportedly, another fire erupted on Monday morning on the third floor of a building located in Canning Street. 35 fire tenders and 230 firemen are present. The fire started at ground floor of the five-storied building and aided by inflammable materials, it spread quickly.
Fear
Cracks appear in building, trigger fears of collapse
In addition, fears of a probable collapse has triggered after cracks appeared in the building. As many as 400 shops in the busy market were gutted. On Monday morning, smoke was seen on the third floor, just as the shopkeepers attempted to salvage their goods. A fire department official said they reached the ground floor, but pockets of fire are posing a problem.
Quote
Pockets of fire are making operation difficult, says official
"We've reached from ground to top floor and have succeeded in containing the fire but due to the presence of chemical there, it's difficult to contain pockets of fire inside. Now 35 fire tenders and 250 firemen are here and operation is going on continuously," he said.
Mayor's side
Mayor says market authorities didn't follow safety norms
About the fire, city mayor Sovan Chatterjee said it could have been averted had building owners taken fire safety measures. He said he held several meetings with market officials in recent weeks and told them about safety measures. "A water tank on top of the market did not have proper pipelines to take care of eventualities," he said.
Attack
Meanwhile, Opposition attacked TMC after fire
Notably, Partha Chatterjee, who is heading the West Bengal government currently as Mamata Banerjee has gone on Europe tour, reiterated Mayor's stand and blamed it on market authorities. But Left leader Sujan Chakrabarty asked how the building got fire clearance if rules weren't followed. He called for action against the guilty. Meanwhile, traders said every floor of the building had fire alarm systems.