20220102 Guard killed in factory fire next to airport
India Jan 02 2022 “Building” “Factories”
Dead : dead 1 to 4 Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Guard killed in factory fire next to airport
Kolkata: A fire broke out at a factory — then spread to another — in Kaikhali, very close to the perimeter wall of Kolkata airport, on Saturday morning. A security guard trapped inside one of them was killed. Airport authorities had to keep spraying foam and water from the other side of the wall to stop the blaze from spreading.
The incident was reported around 11am from a paint manufacturing unit in the Karkhana Gully locality. Twenty fire tenders, including three from the Kolkata airport, and three fire pumps managed to control the fire in three-and-a-half hours. However, firemen continued the cooling process till late on Saturday
The fire started near the gates and started burning barrels of chemicals stacked near the back door. Cops said there were three security guards in that area. While two of them were rescued by locals, the third —Kanai Chandra Santra (64) — couldn’t be brought out. His body was dug out from under debris around 5pm.
“We could hear cries for help from inside the factory, but the drums of chemicals were bursting one after another and there was no way anyone could get inside,” said Raju Bhuinya
Witnesses said some of the exploding barrels fell on the adjacent hosiery unit, setting it on fire as well. Flyers landing or taking off from the airport could see the flames, though flight movement was not hampered. The ATC and airport officials kept a close watch on the ascent of the fire, which, at one point, was progressing fast towards the airport’s perimeter wall
“Three of our tenders sprayed foam in the path of the fire to ensure the airport was saved. Our fire tenders helped dousing the blaze from the other end,” said a senior airport official
Fire officials said they struggled to go closer to the factories because of narrow lanes and said the factories had no fire-safety measures. Fire minister Sujit Bose said, “We will organize a fire audit at factories in this area and if anyone is found guilty of not following fire department stipulations, legal action will be initiated.”
Web Source: The Times of India