A major fire broke out in a slum near New Alipore Bridge in Kolkata, close to BP Poddar Hospital, on Saturday evening around 7PM, gutting around 40-50 shanties, a fire brigade official said, adding no one was injured in the incident.
Nearly 16 fire tenders had been deployed to the spot to bring the blaze under control, which spread due to the wind. Army personnel from the New Alipore Army camp joined the Fire Brigade personnel to fight the flames.
The fire tenders were still at work to fully douse the blaze which was raging in some pockets and it may take several more hours to douse it completely, he said. Onlookers said that more than 50 huts were destroyed in the massive fire, onlookers could hear the gas cylinders bursting.
Minister Arup Biswas and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, who visited the spot, said that there have been no reports of casualty. “This land belongs to the railways and has been encroached upon. These are unauthorised slums. We also don’t know when people started staying in these slums,” Hakim said.
“Only after investigation will we get to know what is the reason for the fire. There is something probably due to the cold weather. People are trying to keep warm and plastic is used, so many fires have to be investigated,” he added.
Meanwhile, one of the slum dwellers said, “Where will we go on this rainy winter night? The local councilor and state administration will have to decide where we will stay.”
The Durgapur Bridge was closed to traffic, and train movement on the Sealdah-Budge Budge line was also halted as a precautionary measure.
Congress state president Subhankar Sarkar, who visited the spot, expressed concern over frequent fires in slums and how the poor were the worst hit.
A fire broke out at the Topsia Basti near Science City on Friday morning, leaving nearly 200 shanties reduced to ashes.
— WITH PTI
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