Tragic Fire in Kolkata Market: How Can We Improve Safety to Prevent Future Disasters?

Dear All, indeed, again, another sad news.

Fire Incident in Kolkata

Kolkata, Feb 27: At least 13 people were killed and over a dozen critically injured Wednesday when a major fire broke out at a multi-storey market complex here, police said.

"So far, we have recovered 13 dead bodies. There might be some more people trapped inside...rescue operations are on," city Police Commissioner Surajit Kar Purakayastha said.

Over a dozen critically injured people have been taken to hospitals. The fire broke out early Wednesday morning at the market in central Kolkata. Twenty-five fire tenders rushed to the spot to douse the flame.

Fire brigade personnel scrambled to rescue people as many are feared trapped inside the market, which houses shops and paper godowns.

State Fire Services Minister Javed Khan said the complex in which the fire broke out was illegally constructed and most of the entry and exit gates were locked, resulting in people being trapped inside.

Locals said the toll could go up as many people are still trapped inside.

"We will take action against the market authorities for not having any fire safety arrangements," Khan said.

Regards

Fire Safety Concerns in Shopping Malls

RIP, Mr. Dipil. I just want to share this information with our members. Unfortunately, I don't have any fire accident pictures from the first week of February in Africa near my house (I was actually in India at the time of the accident).

Near my house in Africa, there is a big shopping mall called "ALGRAMIS." Whenever we go in, I noticed, and my colleagues also noticed, that there are no fire extinguishers, fire sprinkler systems, or emergency exits. One of my colleagues raised this issue with the manager, but he didn't seem to care.

On February 1st, a fire started due to a short circuit in one block, spreading throughout the mall within 30 minutes. As everyone is aware, in Africa, there is a lack of emergency fire vehicles. This incident occurred at midnight. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the entire building was destroyed. They are now starting the demolition process.

Regards,