Afire erupted on the third floor of the Acropolis Mall shopping mall in Kolkata, India, on June 14, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP
A major fire broke out at a mall in Kolkata’s Kasba area on Friday around 12.15 p.m., causing panic among shoppers and locals. The fire likely started on the fourth floor of the mall where the food court is situated.
Authorities evacuated the building that got engulfed in smoke in no time. Fifteen fire engines took two hours to control the blaze. No one was injured in the incident. This is the second major blaze in the heart of the city within a week. On Tuesday, there was a massive fire at a Park Street eatery.
In Friday’s fire, an 18-storey office building behind the mall was evacuated due to heavy smoke and fear of the fire spreading to adjacent buildings.
Spandana Sen, who works in one of the many offices in the building, said, “We could smell smoke. All the people were being evacuated through one staircase. There was a pregnant lady who had to be carried down.”
“As of now, there is no report of any injury. Firefighting operations are underway. Some firefighters have entered the building wearing oxygen masks,” an official told PTI.
A senior official from the Kolkata Police Department said the entire Kasba area was covered in smoke and traffic around the mall had to be restricted. Power supply to the mall was cut off to avoid any accident and glass panes were broken to let out the smoke and avoid suffocation.
According to officials, the cause of the fire will be known after an investigation. They said strict action will be taken against the mall authorities if were found to be flouting fire safety guidelines.
Two fires at commercial establishments within three days have raised questions about fire safety protocols in offices and commercial spaces in the city.
“I have never faced something so scary. The saddest part was that the emergency exit was half-blocked with cement packets, making evacuation harder,” said a colleague of Ms. Sen.
Srijita Basak, whose office is located opposite the mall, said back-to-back incidents of fire in the city are concerning. “It is sad that our government is not doing anything. Fire safety systems and evacuation plans are not good in these places. There is a lack of systematic precaution in these enclosed commercial spaces where the fire spreads faster.”
Responding to the concerns, an official at the Fire Brigade Headquarters in Kolkata said, “We have fire safety protocols in place at all locations. We also have regular inspections and investigations.”