A massive fire tore through a bustling market in South Kolkata&rsquo;s Khidirpur area early Monday, destroying over 1,300 shops. While no casualties have been reported, the property damage is estimated to be enormous.
The blaze broke out around 2 a.m. and rapidly spread due to the congested layout of the marketplace. Locals initially attempted to douse the flames before 20 fire tenders arrived at the scene.
According to a fire department official, the blaze is now under control and efforts are on to detect and extinguish hidden fire pockets before starting the cooling operation.
Locals, however, alleged a delayed response from fire services and claimed that the first fire tenders arrived with insufficient water. Authorities later sourced water from a nearby Ganges stream.
State Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose dismissed the claims as baseless, asserting that fire units responded promptly and from multiple locations. He added that shop owners were negligent in fire safety compliance and promised an investigation.
Many shopkeepers remain unconvinced. &ldquo;The delay cost us everything,&rdquo; said one trader, whose shop was reduced to ashes.
Officials acknowledged that the situation could have turned deadly had the fire erupted during business hours.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]
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Massive Fire Destroys 1,300 Shops in Kolkata Market

No casualties, but huge losses as blaze engulfs Khidirpur market; probe ordered into delay claims

Massive Fire Destroys 1,300 Shops in Kolkata Market

No casualties, but huge losses as blaze engulfs Khidirpur market; probe ordered into delay claims

June 16, 2025 | 11:07 IST