Fire guts east Kolkata’s Topsia slums

A major fire which broke out in a slum at Topsia area in east Kolkata this afternoon, 20 December, has reduced a significant portion of the shanty town, comprising nearly 150 dwellings, to ashes, an official said.

Fifteen fire tenders were pressed into service to bring the blaze — which erupted around 12.50 p.m. in the slum on D.N. Dey Road, adjacent to the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass — under control, he said.

There were no reported injuries per information last received.

The flames were brought under control by 2.10 p.m., the fire brigade official said.

The blaze, aided by dry winter winds, initially kept spreading and covered the area with thick black smoke.

Even two adjacent canals surrounding the slum and providing a perennial source of water for the fire trucks failed to contain the flames for the first two hours, leaving the shanties charred, the official said.

Firefighters faced a stiff challenge as they worked to stop the flames from spreading, on account of the dwellings being tightly knit and allegedly housing inflammable articles, police said.

The congested area also prevented the fire trucks from getting close, and the vehicles had to make detours to approach the flames.

Locals were seen assisting the fire brigade personnel in their effort to douse the blaze, even as a section of the affected residents entered into a verbal spat with the police.

Some of the residents alleged that fire tenders took longer than usual to reach the spot.

State fire services minister Sujit Basu, who had rushed to the spot, said, “I appeal to all residents to maintain calm. They may have their reasons to be angry and I am willing to listen to them. But, the priority now is to douse the flames.”

“I had requisitioned 15 fire tenders and asked the police to keep the route vacant so that there was no delay in their arrival,” he added.

The state’s disaster management personnel were also pressed into service for rescue and recovery from the charred remains of the shanty town.

A police officer said that people were also being evacuated from an adjacent high-rise building, given the threatening nature of the fire.