Fire at slum in Kolkata’s Salt Lake guts over 80 shanties

KOLKATA: A fire broke out in a slum adjacent to Falguni Abasan in Kolkata’s Salt Lake on Sunday evening, rendering thousands of residents homeless.

The incident also caused panic among residents of adjacent housing complexes and nearby homes, as multiple gas cylinders stored in the shanties exploded.
Locals said the fire had started around 7.30pm. 10 fire tenders struggled to contain the blaze till late in the evening as state fire minister Sujit Bose reached the spot and was overseeing the firefighting procedure.
Local residents had also joined in to help the firemen fight the flames as the fire had gutted at least 85 shanties, civic officials said.
A separate team of disaster management team were also called in to ensure none were trapped in the blaze and those living nearby could be rescued to safety.
It was not clear if anyone was injured in the incident till late on Sunday and the reason behind the fire was yet to be ascertained.
Firemen also took out gas cylinders from nearby houses taking them away from the blaze site.
“A thorough investigation and forensic study will be carried out to know the reason behind the fire,” the minister added.
Bidhannagar Mayor Krishna Chakraborty, who was also at the spot, said temporary shelter will be provided to those who lost their homes in the blaze and said she was also arranging food and water for them.