The fire started in the new Koila Ghat building on Strand Road in central Kolkata.
Calcutta:
Seven people were killed in a large fire that broke out in an office building on Strand Road in central Kolkata on Monday night.
Among the dead were four firefighters, a police officer, a railroad officer and a security person, authorities said.
Two more are missing.
Five of the seven bodies were found in an elevator on the 12th floor. The victims appeared to have suffocated and burned to death inside the elevator.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived at the scene around 11pm.
Earlier in the evening, immediately after the fire broke out at 6.30pm, the fire minister, the urban affairs minister and police officers rushed to the scene. At least 25 fire trucks were deployed to put out the fire that started on the 13th floor.
The fire started around 6:30 pm
“Seven people are dead. The police commissioner says two more may be missing. The tragedy happened because the elevator was used during the fire. We will give 10 lakh rupees to the families of the dead,” Ms Banerjee said.
“This is the property of the railroads. The railroads have a responsibility. The railroads could not provide a map of the building. I don’t want to make politics about the tragedy, but no one from the railroads has come to the site,” he added.
The fire started on the 13th floor of the new Koilaghat Building, an office building shared by the Eastern Railway and the South Eastern Railway, along the Hooghly River on Strand Road.
The building houses train ticket offices and online reservations have reportedly been affected with power off.
Fire Minister Sujit Bose said he was “hurt” by the incident and an investigation will be ordered into why the elevator was used.
“The SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) is not to use elevators in case of fire,” he said.
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