Two killed in fire at commercial building in Kolkata

Kolkata, April 21 (IANS) Two persons were killed on Monday morning in a devastating fire at a commercial building complex at Pathuriaghata Street in North Kolkata, West Bengal.

The two deceased persons have been identified as Kishanlal Upadhyay and Sunil Sharma. Both were earning their livelihood as contractual priests. Police were trying to contact their relatives.

It is learned that the fire broke out at the commercial building late Sunday night. Ten fire tenders, after rigorous firefighting, ultimately got control over the raging blaze early Monday morning.

Thereafter, the firemen spotted Upadhyay and Sharma in a state of senselessness in the attic of the commercial building where both used to reside. They were immediately rushed to Calcutta Medical College & Hospital in central Kolkata.

However, they were declared dead soon after. Sources from the state fire services department said that, in all probability, the reason for their death was breathlessness because of the smoke being emitted from the fire.

The cause of the fire is not yet known. However, the state fire services department said that in all probability, the reason was a short circuit. “There was a garment warehouse in the building where the fire originally broke out. Because of inflammable items stocked within the building, the fire spread fast,” said a fire services department official at the spot.

The fire tenders, which rushed to the spot, faced initial hurdles in reaching the front of the commercial building because of the narrow approachway to the building. “After the fire broke out, those residing in the building tried to reach the roof. However, since the gate to the roof was locked, their attempts failed. We managed to evacuate all of them from the building, including the two individuals who later died," the fire services department official said.

Fire department officials doubt that the fire safety norms at the said building were properly adhered to. “All these aspects are matters of investigation now,” the official said. When the report was filed, there was no official reaction from the state fire services minister, Sujit Bose.

--IANS

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