Kolkata (SunstarTV Bureau): At least nine people, among four fire fighters, one assistant sub-inspector and one RPF personnel, were killed in an inferno in a multi-storeyed New Koilaghat building here on Strand Road which houses the zonal offices of Eastern and South Eastern Railways on Monday.
According to sources, the fire broke out on the 13th floor of the sprawling building at around 6.10 pm where after 18 fire tenders with hydraulic ladders and skylifts were indulged into service to douse the blaze.
Meanwhile, the five victims tried to reach the 13th floor by elevator. Due to extreme heat the floor singed them and forces them back inside the lift. They subsequently chocked inside the lift, informed Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Basu.
After the major fire broke out, the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the spot and has announced the State government will pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of the deceased and government job to a family member of each victim.
“It’s a horrible fire. The victims perished because they tried to use the lift. We are apprehending two more deaths. Their bodies are yet to be recovered,” the WB CM said after inspecting the scene.
