Kolkata, Jan 22 (UNI) A massive fire at the retail market - Gora Bazar- in Dum Dum killed one person
and destroyed over 150 shops and a nationalised Bank in the wee hours today, police and fire brigade
sources said.
Firemen said they have been using some 24 vehicles to combat the flames, which were first noticed around 02 00 hours.
Police barricaded the entire area enabling the fire fighters to concentrate on their job.
They said the flames were now under control but the cooling process would take another three to
five hours to ensure total control.
The cause of the fire was still unknown.
" Right now we cannot say how the fire broke out. We are now concentrating totally on the flames
and smoke," they added.
They said the property worth several crores of rupees, may be up to Rs 20 crore, have destroyed.
An owner of a food stall was found dead inside his shop. The deceased, identified as Sunil (53), was found dead inside his shop at chalpatty.
He died of suffocation, police added.
A nationalised Bank in the market complex was also destroyed after AC machines blasted in fire.
The business people had stocked all types of goods hoping brisk trading for the festival months and wedding time.
Gora Bazar is famous in whole of North 24 Parganas and major supplier of goods of daily needs.
The firemen said no shop was equipped to combat in case of emergency like fire and other hazard. " Not a single shop they have found equipped with extinguisher or bucket of water or any devise ready to face any eventuality, " fire fighting personnel said.
Dum Dum municipality chairman Harinder Singh visited the area.
He said the fire sparked from a plastic shop.
The same market had also experienced fire in 2006.
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