Fire engulfs shanties at Lord’s Crossing in S Kolkata
A massive fire broke out in the shanties near Lord's crossing this afternoon. Sixteen fire engines were pressed into service.
A total of 15 residents of the Hazar Basti slum in Baghbazar who were suffering from symptoms of fever with loss in taste and smell, have tested positive for Covid-19 today.
The affected have been shifted to Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI) and to MR Bangur hospital, today.
The Statesman had reported on 7 June that several slum dwellers of Hazar Basti, located in Baghbazar within ward 7 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), were suffering from fever and were losing sense of taste and smell.
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The slum has around 130 shanties with a bare minimum gap between them.
Following the publishing of the newspaper report on 8 June, the KMC former councillor and now coordinator for ward 7, Mr Bapi Ghosh, had immediately taken the initiative to arrange for Covid tests which took place on 12 June.
The reports which came out today revealed that out of 45 persons who were tested for Covid-19, 15 persons have tested positive, confirmed Mr Ghosh who told The Statesman, “A total of 15 have tested positive out of which, three are aged people who have been shifted to MR Bangur Hospital. The aged were completely asymptomatic.”
He added, “The other 12 affected persons have been taken to Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI) at Rajarhat.” Mr Ghosh told The Statesman that the affected are mostly residents in one particular alley inside the slum.
He pointed out that in recent times many migrant labourers from the state had returned to Bengal from other Covid-19 high burden states, and had settled in Hazar Basti with their relatives after they were disallowed from entering their villages.
It was observed that some residents of the slum, broke down in tears when their affected family members were taken in an ambulance to the Covid-19 hospitals, today evening.
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