Kolkata: The entire area was engulfed in smoke, and traffic movement in front of Acropolis Mall has been regulated, a senior officer of the Kolkata Traffic Police said. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. However, some reports claimed that the fire broke at the food court of the mall. At least nine fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze, which was first spotted around 10.50 AM.
A major fire broke out at Acropolis Mall on Friday afternoon, which later led to the utilization of several fire engines to extinguish the fire. The early signing pointed to the origin of the fire on the third floor of the mall in the southern part of the city, which led to the evacuation of the building.
According to a news agency, ten fire tenders were swiftly mobilized to combat the blaze that started around 12:15 pm in the Kasba area. Authorities stated that an operation to extinguish the fire was conducted, with the firemen wearing oxygen masks and venturing inside the building with heavy smoke coming from the structure.
The area in front of the mall was congested, and drivers were managing and controlling the traffic from the Kolkata Traffic Police since the area was covered by smoke. Fortunately, nobody was injured in the immediate aftermath of the attack and rescue efforts were quickly carried out.
Many people were reported trapped in the blaze, and the root cause of the fire was unknown at the onset, but some sources indicated it started at the mall’s food court. This particular fire mishap at Acropolis Mall occurred just a week after a similar fire case occurred in the newly opened restaurant at Park Street, central Kolkata. The Park Street fire was reported around 10:50 am in their compound, which called for nine Fire Tenders. Though the fire led to chaos among the locals, there were deaths recorded from the incident.
It has been claimed by Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose that firefighters were successful in controlling the Park Street fire; attempts were also being made to douse the area affected section. The circumstances that led to the fire outbreak and whether the restaurant acted in compliance with the legal requirements in the management of fire would be established through forensic auditing.
On the issue related to the burnt part of the building that had been made of tin-sheet, Bose explained that such architectural choices are beyond the jurisdiction of the fire services department. Both these incidents bring out the need for proper alertness, prompt response and following the laid safety measures in handling fire crises in densely populated cities like Kolkata.
Check here for the latest updates in Hindi!