Kolkata: There was a massive scare for travellers and various staff at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport when a fire broke out inside the terminal building here on Wednesday evening.
The entire terminal was evacuated and flight services suspended temporarily.
According to TV reports, the source of the fire was a conveyor belt at a check-in counter where outgoing passengers’ baggage is rolled out. It’s close to Gate 3C.
A number of videos surfaced online as some passengers and mediapersons who were in the vicinity recorded the fire from a distance.
Watch videos posted on Twitter:
#Breaking: Massive fire breaks out at a check-in counter inside Kolkata airport. Several fire tenders rushed at the spot. Pax being evacuated from the check in zone of departures as the entire airport has been engulfed by smoke @ZeeNews pic.twitter.com/o1cEjVli53
— Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) June 14, 2023
Breaking: Massive fire breaks out at Kolkata airport check-in area pic.twitter.com/GqRpbDNn46
— Soumyajit Majumder (@SoumyajitWrites) June 14, 2023
It was around 9.20 pm when the fire was detected. As smoke billowed inside the terminal building, panic spread among passengers.
Airport staff initially evacuated the check-in zone of departures as half a dozen fire tenders arrived at the airport to try and douse the flames.
Departure of late-evening and night flights have been put on hold, and incoming flights are also not being given permission to land currently.
Early reports suggested that short circuit was the cause of fire.
