Kolkata's iconic Burrabazar market gutted by fire; no casualty

The fire broke out at around 10 pm near Bagri bazar area; 25 fire tenders were pressed into service

A major fire broke out on Monday at a multi-storey building housing several godowns in central Kolkata's Burrabazar, creating panic among the residents.

The fire broke out at around 10 pm near Bagri bazar area and 25 fire tenders were pressed into service. The fire intensified due to the presence of inflammable material, including gas cylinders in the godown, a senior official of the fire department said.

"There is no report of any casualty so far and few persons who were trapped inside the building have been rescued," the official said, adding people living in the adjacent buildings were also evacuated.

"It is a massive fire and we are trying to douse it, but the thick smoke is making it difficult for us to reach the spot since the building is located in a congested area behind Burrabazar police station. The blaze is also spreading fast due to the presence of inflammable materials," he said.

State fire minister Sovan Chatterjee, who rushed to the spot, said, "We are trying hard to douse the fire. Our senior officers are here."

Chatterjee, who is also the mayor of the city, supervised the fire fighting operations. Two to three cylinders were taken out during the evacuation in his presence, a fire department personnel said.

"The entire area has been cordoned off for the convenience of the fire fighters. Traffic at Rabindra Sarani has been stopped while the traffic in the MG road area was partially stopped," a police officer said.