Midnight blaze ravages residential building in Kolkata, two killed

According to reports, the blaze was first noticed at around 10:15 pm. at the 80-year-old building, where more than 50 families live, and the fire brigade was called in.

More than 10 fire tenders along with a hydraulic ladder, Disaster Management Group (DMG) personnel and local police rushed to the scene and firemen fought till Saturday morning to douse the massive blaze.

Officials said that a 12-year-old boy, Yunus, jumped from the building in panic. He was taken to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) where the teenager died later.

Another resident of the building, Shamina Begum (80), was trapped in a bathroom on the seventh floor of the building and rescue workers found her dead later.

Fire and emergency services officials said the elderly woman had died of suffocation due to heavy smoke.

Meanwhile, three more residents of the multi-storey were injured in the fire incident and they are undergoing treatment at CMCH.

State Fire Minister Sujit Bose visited the scene later at night and said that DMG personnel rescued several residents from the building who had been trapped inside.

Local police and fire department have jointly started an investigation into the incident, according to officials.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha/IBNS)