Toll in Bhankrota Tanker fire rises to 14
The LPG tanker exploded with a big bang after collision with a truck, leaving around 50 persons gravely injured.
A devastating fire broke out in a vest factory on Jessore Road near Nagerbazar in Dum Dum today. Twenty fire engines were pressed into service. The entire area was covered in smoke. According to fire department sources, no workers were trapped in the factory where the fire broke out. Everyone was safely evacuated.
Local sources reported that the factory is located right next to Sarojini Naidu College in Nagerbazar. There is a warehouse of a private ice cream company next to the factory. Locals first heard an explosion from there, followed by the fire. Fire officials initially suspected that the fire may have started from an air conditioning unit and then spread to the factory. The fire department was informed, and they arrived at the scene around 3.40 pm and began firefighting efforts. Around 20 engines were called in to extinguish the fire. Local residents had also joined the firefighters in the effort.
Advertisement
Next to the factory, where the fire broke out, there is a wedding hall, a medicine warehouse, a furniture warehouse, and another vest factory. Since most of the warehouses contain flammable materials, there was a risk of the fire spreading.
Advertisement
State fire minister Sujit Bose, who visited the scene in the morning, said, “I have learned that it is a vest factory. There were also some warehouses. Without an investigation, it is not possible for me to say anything right now. There were still pockets of fire. A tin shed collapsed where the fire department was working. We are bringing in a JCB to remove the shed and continue the work. It is not possible to say the cause of the fire right now. We have investigated every fire incident in Kolkata over the past few months and taken necessary steps. Some factories have been shut down. My point is, do business, but follow the rules. Here, I haven’t seen any proper fire extinguishing arrangements yet. There will be an investigation, and legal action will be taken if necessary.”
Advertisement
