Fire Station Officer suspended over dereliction of duty in Kolkata building blaze

Kolkata, May 14 The officer-in-charge of Pragati Maidan fire station has been suspended after the fire incident in the Tiljala area in Kolkata, West Bengal, said officials on Thursday.

The state's DG of Fire and Emergency Services issued a notification stating that Gautam Das, the station officer and officer-in-charge of Pragati Maidan fire station, is being suspended for dereliction of duty.

The notification also stated that there was serious negligence in monitoring, inspection and enforcement of fire safety laws at the Pragati Maidan fire station. The fire department authorities have asked for Das's suspension immediately, and a departmental inquiry be initiated. This investigation should be completed within a month.

It was learned that Das will remain at the fire department headquarters during the suspension. He will not be able to leave the headquarters without the permission of the authorities.

On Tuesday afternoon, a fire broke out in a leather factory on the second floor of a multi-storey building at 50/1 GJ Khan Road in Topsia. The fire spread quickly. Five people were trapped in the fire. As soon as the fire was noticed, the locals informed the fire department. According to sources, the fire department was informed about the fire at around 1:45 p.m.

Upon receiving the information, several fire engines reached the spot. Due to the intensity of the fire, the people trapped in the building had trouble getting out. The firefighters tried to rescue them, but they had to face difficulties due to the intensity of the fire. Later, all of them were rescued in a burnt condition and sent to Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital. Doctors examined them and declared two of them dead. Three more continue to be in critical condition.

Following the fire incident, a bulldozer was used to demolish the illegal factory in that residential building. The demolition work of the factory began within 30 hours of the fire incident after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the factory was running illegally. He ordered the demolition of the illegal infrastructure, and within a few hours, the demolition work of the factory began.

Police forces were deployed in the area to ensure that no untoward situation arose during the demolition of the factory. Central forces were also deployed.

The new state government formed an inquiry committee on Tuesday to investigate how the accident happened. Based on that report, Chief Minister Suvendu said on Wednesday afternoon that the Tiljala factory had no building plan. The general fire safety measures were also not there. He said that the factory was running completely illegally.

The police have already arrested the owner of the leather factory, Zafar Nishar, in connection with the fire.

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