Fire in Statesman House

A fire broke out in the Statesman House building at Chowringhee Square in the heart of the city this evening, police said.
The fire was noticed at around 9.50 PM in the third floor of the heritage building, the office of The Statesman newspaper, during the peak hours of news operation.
Eight fire tenders reached the spot and brought the blaze under control in an hour, the officials said.
Smoke billowing from the house has engulfed a major area.
Employees of the newspaper were evacuated from the 130-year-old building, considered a major landmark in the city.
Fire Minister and City mayor Shovan Chattopadhyay rushed to the spot to supervise the fire fighting operation.

The cause of the fire and extent of damage are yet to be ascertained.
A major fire in 2006 had damaged some rooms in the ground and first floor of the building.