Kolkata recorded 12 fire incidents during Kali Puja celebrations on Sunday night, including a blaze at an abandoned building in densely populated Beleghata and a fire at the hostel premises of Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital. No injuries were reported in the incidents described in the report.
In Beleghata, flames engulfed an abandoned and dilapidated house on Beleghata Main Road, opposite Alochhaya cinema hall. The building was located close to a petrol pump, creating an additional safety concern in a busy urban area. Four fire tenders were deployed to bring the blaze under control.
Police are probing the cause of the Beleghata fire. The building’s abandoned and deteriorated condition, along with its location on a densely populated road, added to the operational challenge for emergency responders, although the supplied report does not provide details of structural damage or the duration of the firefighting operation.
Another fire broke out at around 9.30 pm on Sunday within the hostel premises of NRS Medical College and Hospital. Hospital sources said medical students were allegedly setting off firecrackers inside the hostel compound when the blaze began.
Manabendra Sarkar, the hospital’s medical superintendent-cum-vice principal, said the NRS hostel fire was caused by firecrackers. Security personnel responded promptly and contained the fire before it caused injuries, according to the hospital sources cited in the report.
The incidents occurred as Kolkata observed Kali Puja, a period when firecracker use can increase the risk of localised fires, particularly in areas with closely spaced buildings, combustible materials and high pedestrian or vehicle movement. The reported Beleghata fire also highlights the added risk created when an unused or dilapidated structure stands near critical fuel infrastructure and a major public road.
The report did not provide a consolidated breakdown of the remaining fire incidents, the total number of fire tenders deployed across the city, property-loss estimates or details of any arrests or notices issued. It also did not state whether the affected buildings had undergone recent safety inspections.
Authorities are continuing to examine the cause of the Beleghata blaze, while the NRS Medical College and Hospital incident was attributed by the medical superintendent-cum-vice principal to firecrackers. No further injuries or official casualty figures were reported in the supplied account.
