Unburnt CIC floors to reopen, mgmt told to take safety

West Bengal Government today allowed reopening of the unaffected floors of the 24-storey Chatterjee International Centre (CIC), where a fire broke out on Tuesday, and directed its management to undertake all measures to ensure safety of the building and those using it.
However, operations in 14th floor to 16th floor, which had been affected by the fire incident, would be allowed only after the forensic examinations were over, a release by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said.
"The government is concerned about the situation in the wake of fire incident at the CIC. Topmost priority of the government is to ensure the safety of the building and safety and wellbeing of the persons using it," the release said.

The CIC management has submitted an undertaking to the government stating its total commitment to ensure compliance with the directions of the fire authorities, it said.
Taking these into account and considering the need to restore normalcy at the CIC, it has been decided to allow immediate operations from basement to 13th floor subject to strict observance of the undertaking by the management and safety clearance by the authorities concerned.
It has also been decided to allow operations in 17th floor and upwards after obtaining lift clearance from the concerned authority within next five working days.
Besides, the CIC authorities have been asked to install CCTV cameras and at least 20 fire extinguishers per floor, repair electrical ducts and hire fire personnel as safety measures, the release added.