Kolkata, June 10 (IANS) A fire broke out at a government office in south Kolkata’s Alipore area on Wednesday morning, officials said.
According to the locals, black smoke started coming out of the multi-storey office of South 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad in Alipore at around 10 a.m., and the Fire Department was informed.
The area was covered in black smoke, while a portion of the roof had collapsed.
At least 10 fire engines have already reached the spot to douse the fire. While two people were rescued by firefighters, another person came down the building with the help of a rope. Fire officials said that some more are believed to be trapped, and they had faced problems while setting up the ladder due to the narrow space and the trees around.
However, there is no report of any casualty or injury as of now.
The fire, believed to have broken out due to a short circuit in the air conditioner, originated on the fourth floor of the building and quickly spread to the fifth and sixth floors as well as other parts. The area was covered in black smoke, while a portion of the roof had collapsed.
This multi-storey building in Alipore houses several government offices. The office of Jahangir Khan, the arrested Trinamool Congress leader from Falta in Diamond Harbour, was also there. The electricity connection to the building was also cut.
Government employees working there had reached by 10.30 a.m. but were not being allowed to enter at the moment due to the fire and the firefighting operations.
Apart from the Zilla Parishad office, there are several other government buildings in the same area, and there were fears that the fire would spread to those buildings as well. However, firefighters are ensuring that the fire does not spread to adjacent buildings.
–IANS
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