Ahead of Durga Puja, Bagree Market traders stare at gloom as fire guts biz

Loss could be between Rs 2-5 billion; 3,000 people, employed by these traders, fear loss of livelihood

Over 500 traders in the congested Bagree Market in the Burrabazar area in Kolkata, which was gutted by fire early morning on Sunday, are staring at a loss anywhere between Rs 2-5 billion. Some 3,000 people, employed by these traders, also fear loss of livelihood, even as West Bengal heads towards celebrating its biggest annual festivity, Durga Puja.

Part of the state’s key wholesale and retail hub, the Bagree Market housed between 700-1,000 registered and unregistered shops across its five floors. A fire broke out early in the morning of September 16 and spread rapidly. While over 30 fire tenders were