Fire in heritage building kills six in Kolkata

At least six people have died and 30 were injured after a devastating fire broke out in a 150-year-old building on the iconic Park Street in Kolkata.

Stephen Court, the landmark seven-storey building, housed the legendary confectioners Flury’s, restaurant Peter Cat, Music World store, the offices of Jet Airways and Power Max, among others. It also housed residences. The 100-year-old Flury’s and other outlets on the ground floor escaped unscathed but a major part of the building was destroyed.

Dilip Kumar Basu, chairman of engineering firm Power Max India, was traumatised: “My office, spread across the fourth and fifth floors, is gone…”

The fire, which could have been caused by an electrical short circuit started around 2.30 pm in one of the elevators on the upper floors and spread swiftly. Soon, flames were leaping out of almost every window. The wooden staircase of the building was destroyed and parts of the building crumbled. About 300 firemen fought the blaze with 45 fire tenders and ladders, fire services minister Pratim Chatterjee said. “It [Stephen Court] is an old building and its fire-resistance capacity is not known. I can’t say if the building can be saved,” he said.

With the fire snapping at their heels, office workers and residents were driven to jump out of windows. Of the six who died, Sourav Barik leapt to his death and Richa Krishnan fell after losing her grip on a rope while being evacuated by firemen. Three of four others — Pradip Chokhalia, Vivek Upadhyay and Bikash Agarwala — died of burns in hospital. Firemen used hydraulic ladders to rescue people, including a 90-year-old man.

Onlookers complained that the fire engines arrived an hour late though one fire brigade is on Free School Street, a stone’s throw away from Park Street. The army too, arrived an hour later.

Union rail minister Mamata Banerjee arrived at the spot one-and-a-half hours later and said she had delayed her arrival so no one would accuse her of hampering rescue efforts. State finance minister Asim Dasgupta said a high-level committee will investigate what caused the fire. Forensic experts will examine the site on Wednesday.