Seven people, including four firefighters, two are Rail Protection Force personnel and an Assistant Calcutta Police Deputy Inspector died while fighting a massive fire in a high-rise building that houses the Eastern Railway offices on Strand Road in Kolkata, fire Service Minister Sujit Bose said Monday night.
“The police commissioner told me that two more people are missing and that they may have died,” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said after arriving at the scene around 10:15 p.m.
Railway officials working at the building said one of their colleagues, Sudipta Das, a technician and a Howrah resident, was missing.
The firefighters who died are Girish Deb, Gaurab Bej, Aniruddh Jana and Biman Purkait.
Kolkata ASI police identified as Amit Bhawal
Several members of the fire brigade staff were transferred to hospitals such as SSKM Hospital and BR Singh Hospital. Two of them were identified as Manoranjan Mudi and Arindam Dey. Both had inhaled smoke, authorities said.
The name of the RPF agent could not be determined, a fire services official said.
“I am deeply shocked. The prime minister had been constantly asking for firefighters. We are with the families of the grieving,” Bose said.
The construction plan could have helped a lot, the fire minister told HT.
The fire had broken out on the 13th floor of the Eastern Railway office at night.
The 13th floor houses the accounts office, ER employees who evacuated the building said. The person who was injured did not suffer any major injuries, they said.
The fire was detected around 6:10 p.m. The high-rise building called the Koilaghata Building, is located next to the Hooghly River.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said railroad officials had not yet arrived. “You can see that no railway official has come here so far. It is their property and they have a responsibility,” he said.
Sujit Bose said a member of the RPF staff could be identified and no person could be identified.
The bodies were found scattered on the floor that caught fire.
The Calcutta Police ASI was attached to the local police station.
“We must always be careful. During a fire we should not use elevators. I am sure those who came up were experts in their field. They probably wanted to work fast. This is unfortunate,” said the prime minister.
“Money cannot compensate for the loss of life, but the state government will support these families. Each family will be given a job and ₹10 lakh, “he said.
“The fire is now under control.”
“The railways also have their fire fighting equipment. What happened to that? It is our men who did all the work. Not all of those who died live in Calcutta. One of them lives in Baranagar in North Kolkata, they told me. The families have been informed. They are coming, “said the prime minister.
ER chief spokesperson Kamal Deo Das said: “Online ticket booking will begin once the fire is completely out and the power lines are connected.”
Banerjee left the scene at 12:10 p.m. He also went to the SSKM hospital to inquire about the wounded.
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