Fire destroys 2,500 shops in Kolkata

Over 2,500 shops were gutted and property worth crores destroyed in a devastating fire that broke out in Burrabazar, one of the busiest commercial hubs in the heart of the city, early this morning.

There were no casualties in the fire that started from a house at two am on Jamnalal Bajaj Street and soon engulfed nearby buildings and commercial establishments housing cloth and tarpulin shops in the area, Fire Minister Pratim Chatterjee told PTI.

He said that at least 40 fire tenders were pressed into service but "they're struggling to douse the flames after almost nine hours."

"We don't know how long it would take to bring the fire under control. Actually, shortage of water supply and power cut in the area have hampered the fire-fighting operation," the minister added.

Though the actual cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, Chatterjee said that a high-level committee would soon be set up to probe the incident.