Kolkata, Oct 30 — A fire broke out in a flat on the 28th floor of Tower 3 at the upscale South City residential complex in south Kolkata on Friday morning, officials said. The fire prompted the authorities to deploy eight fire engines to the spot.
Authorities said the blaze has been largely brought under control and no casualties have been reported so far.
According to a fire department official, they received information about a major fire at around 8 a.m. Multiple fire tenders were rushed to the complex to douse the flames. Later, more fire tenders were sent to control the blaze.
According to local eyewitnesses, thick black smoke was seen billowing from the affected flat, triggering panic among residents of the sprawling housing complex adjacent to South City Mall.
A fire department official said eight fire engines are still working to control the flames. Before firefighters arrived, security personnel and local residents made initial efforts to contain the blaze. Firefighters subsequently launched full-scale operations to prevent the flames from spreading to adjoining areas.
The cause of the fire is still unknown. The extent of the damage is also not known at this stage. But authorities have said that there are no casualties so far. Officials said all residents were safely evacuated, and no one was trapped inside the building.
While the fire has been substantially contained, crews are continuing operations to ensure that no residual pockets of fire remain.
“The fire has been largely brought under control, and there is little possibility of it spreading again. However, some work remains, and teams are checking for any lingering hotspots,” a fire department official said.
Authorities said an investigation into the source of the blaze will be conducted once firefighting operations are fully completed.
Police personnel, firefighters and representatives of the power utility are present at the site.