[Watch] Towering Inferno: Nine Killed In Railway Building Blaze In Kolkata

Kolkata: Nine persons, including four fire-fighters and a police officer, died in a fire that broke out on the 13th floor of a multi-storeyed building in Kolkata on Monday night.

A railway official and an RPF constable were also killed in the blaze at the New Koilaghat building, which houses the offices of Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway, on Strand Road,

According to officials, the death toll may rise as a few other persons are still missing and efforts are on to find them.

At least 20 fire tenders and two hydraulic ladders were pressed into service to douse the blaze at the building which also has a computerised ticket booking centre in the ground floor.

“The fire is now under control and the cooling process is on,” said MIC (Fire and Emergency Services), Government of West Bengal, Sujit Bose.

CM Oversees Rescue Ops

Source: Twitter/Mamata Banerjee

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who rushed to the spot in Kolkata’s central business district, announced the state government will pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of those killed and government job to the kin of each victim.

“It seems, the deceased got trapped in the elevator and they died. We are yet to get the layout of the building. No senior railway officials arrived here though it is their property. I do not want to do politics over a mishap,” said Mamata while overseeing the rescue operations till midnight.

PM Announces Ex-Gratia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the city for a mega poll rally on Sunday, expressed grief at the tragedy. He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakhs for the families of the deceased.

Saddened by the loss of lives due to the fire tragedy in Kolkata. In this hour of sadness, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 9, 2021

PM @narendramodi has approved an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the tragic fire in Kolkata. Rs. 50,000 would be given to those seriously injured.

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 9, 2021

Rly Probe Ordered

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal expressed his condolences. The minister informed that a high-level inquiry comprising four Principal Heads of Railway departments has been ordered to ascertain the cause of fire.