20240703 Fire guts Dhapa godown, locals moved to safety
India Jul 03 2024 “Warehouses”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Fire guts Dhapa godown, locals moved to safety
Updated: 2024-07-03
Kolkata: There was panic among residents of a densely populated locality at Sayrabad in the Dhapa area after a fire — which broke out in a lubricant godown with a tin shed on Monday morning — threatened to engulf adjoining houses. No one has been injured in the incident.
The fire department, that had a tough time to gain entry as the unit was shut for the past 72 hours, had to battle thick smoke and the rain. The fire, which broke out around 11.30 am, was brought under control after two and a half hours but till reports last came in on Tuesday evening, the fire was yet to be doused completely.
While 10 fire tenders were put into service along with around 800 kg of foam — as fire had spread due to lubricant oil and diesel kept inside — the firemen kept another five to 10 fire tenders on standby.
They even used motors to draw water from a water body to contain the flames. A few residents were shifted to safer areas.
According to local resident Sanat Khatua, the fire spread to the entire area within minutes and thick black smoke covered the place. Initially six fire engines were sent to the spot. However, it took a long time to control the blaze due to the large quantities of inflammable materials and chemicals stored in the godown.
The firefighters even had to cut through iron construction to gain entry.
As visibility dropped to almost zero, 800 kg of foam was dispatched. Fire minister Sujit Bose also visited the spot and spoke to the firefighters. He promised to look into the causes that led to the fire.
Many nearby houses were evacuated. Gas cylinders were shifted from the area. “The owner has another unit nearby,” said Ayush Kundu, a local resident.
Web Source The Times of India