Oil lamp lit for Shivratri sparks fire at Tollygunge apartment

Kolkata: An oil lamp lit on the occasion of Shivratri sparked a fire inside an empty fifth-floor apartment at Diamond City South in Tollygunge on Sunday morning, triggering panic across multiple floors of the high-rise before firefighters brought the blaze under control within an hour and a half.The fire broke out in flat 5B of Tower 2 around 10.40 am, shortly after resident Anju Minda and her husband stepped out to offer prayers at a temple located within the complex premises. Residents said thick black smoke was seen billowing out of the apartment windows, prompting immediate alarm in the block.
Electricity to the tower was swiftly switched off as a precautionary measure, forcing residents of the 4th, 5th and 6th floors to evacuate via staircases. Many rushed out in haste, fearing the flames could spread through the building's internal shafts.The complex's in-house fire management team initiated the first response, attempting to contain the flames and evacuate residents before alerting the state fire services. Fire officials said 5 fire tenders were pressed into service after the call was received."Our fire management team quickly took over to evacuate those in need and contain the fire as much as possible till the firemen reached and assumed charge," said Pushpa Sinha, president of the Residents' Welfare Association (RWA). "Thankfully, the family had just stepped out for puja when the fire started. No one was inside the apartment, or it could have resulted in serious injuries."Firefighters said dense smoke accumulated inside the flat, making ventilation critical. "We had to break open multiple glass panes to let the trapped smoke escape and prevent it from spreading to adjacent units," a fire official at the spot said. The blaze was brought under control by around 12 noon.While no residents were injured, a maintenance staff member sustained minor burns and scratches while assisting in evacuating occupants from the affected floors. He was given first aid on site and did not need to be taken to a hospital, RWA members said.Officials added that the cooking gas pipeline supply to the tower was shut off immediately after the fire was detected. Both electricity and gas connections were restored only after clearance from the fire department.The upscale gated complex is home to several prominent personalities, including actors Nusrat Jahan, Yash Dasgupta and Sayantika Banerjee."Though the incident caused a temporary scare on a holiday morning, coordinated efforts between the internal response team and fire services ensured the situation was contained swiftly, preventing what could have escalated into a major mishap," said a resident of the same tower who also came out when the fire was spotted.