Kolkata: A fire broke out late on Sunday night in a multi-storey commercial building at Lyons Range in central Kolkata, behind Writers’ Buildings and next to the Calcutta Stock Exchange.At least 10 fire engines were sent to the spot to stop the flames from spreading to nearby heritage buildings. No injuries or deaths have been reported, as the offices in the building were closed for the Sunday holiday. However, the firefighting continued even till late Monday evening as the fire department said pocket fires lingered for long, making the cooling process a lengthier one.The fire badly damaged the third floor of the building. Several computers, office equipment and other stored items were destroyed. The building houses offices of several companies. Fire officials said four offices on the third floor were hit the hardest. They believe the fire may have started from that area.Among the damaged offices were a soon-to-open office and a computer hardware firm spread over about 1,500 sq ft. Fire officials said the presence of a large amount of computer equipment and packed cartons helped the fire spread quickly. These materials also produced thick black smoke.The smoke made it difficult for firefighters to enter through the staircases. They had to use an adjoining building to operate a hydraulic lift. Thick smoke was seen coming mainly from three windows on the third floor.Sources said two security guards first noticed flames and black smoke coming from the upper floors of the century-old building and alerted the authorities.The fire caused panic in the area because the building stands close to Writers’ Buildings, the former state secretariat, which still houses important govt offices and records.Firefighters worked through the night from 1 am and into Monday morning. By 10 am on Monday, officials said the fire had been brought under control and prevented from spreading to neighbouring buildings. However, pocket fires began soon after, leading firefighters to trace and extinguish them.Fire officials said the situation improved when the black smoke from the third-floor windows turned white. This showed that firefighters had reached the main source of the fire. Soon after, the smoke reduced, and cooling work began.Former councillor Santosh Pathak visited the site and raised concerns about fire safety in the old commercial area.“This is a very old building, nearly 100 years old, and there are no firefighting arrangements in place. It is possible that the incident was related to computer equipment,” Pathak said.He added that because it was Sunday, the office was closed and the windows and openings were shut, allowing the fire to spread inside.“If proper firefighting systems had been in place, and if people had been aware, perhaps the fire would not have spread so much,” he said.Fire services minister Kaushik Chowdhury also visited the spot to review the situation.Officials said it took time to put out the fire because firefighters had difficulty reaching the main source inside the packed building. Police said stacked cartons and flammable materials increased the smoke and helped the flames spread faster.The cause of the fire is still being investigated.The incident came three days after a fire broke out on the 28th floor of Tower 3 at South City Complex in Kolkata. Seven fire engines brought that fire under control within 40 minutes, and no injuries were reported. It also came a day after a fire damaged the ground floor of a house in Chorbagan, opposite the pandal where a stampede on Oct 17 had killed 19 people.(With inputs from Sukhomoy Sen)
