Nirbhik Bangla Special Report: A series of devastating fires across the state, including Durgapur and Asansol, has sparked intense panic and concern among the general public. Amidst the festive season of Kali Puja and Diwali, extensive damage has been reported due to fires breaking out in various godowns, community halls, and private properties.
The first incident took place in the Gurudwara area of Benachity in the industrial town of Durgapur. A massive fire suddenly broke out in a decorator's godown there. The intensity of the fire was so high that within moments, various inflammable decorating materials inside the godown were reduced to ashes. Upon receiving the news, two fire tenders quickly rushed to the spot. After prolonged efforts by the fire personnel, the blaze was brought under control. Although this fire caused a stir in the area, no casualties have been reported. During preliminary investigations, the administration is looking into the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.
Shortly after this, another devastating fire broke out in a plastic godown under the Coke Oven police station limits in Durgapur. Due to the storage of a huge quantity of plastic, the fire quickly took a fierce form. Initially, one fire engine arrived to bring the situation under control, but considering the severity, more engines were pressed into service. Local conscious citizens have raised questions as to how such a large amount of plastic was being stored in a densely populated area.
On the other hand, disaster struck the Basketia community hall in the Salanpur block near Asansol. During the festive season, this hall—the area's only reliable venue for social events, meetings, and training—was burnt to ashes. According to local sources, various training programs, including beautician courses, were conducted here under the initiative of the DVC to make local women self-reliant. Following primary efforts by local youth Shibshankar Ruj and neighbors, fire tenders from Asansol and the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) arrived and brought the fire under control. The Kalyaneshwari out-post police are investigating whether it was a short circuit or sabotage.
In a separate incident within the jurisdiction of the Niamatpur outpost under the Kulti police station of the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate, a scooty parked at a hotel caught fire and was completely gutted. Based on a complaint lodged by the owner Rinku Ansari, the police have started an investigation by reviewing CCTV footage.
Mantime, on the night of Diwali, a completely different and tragic fire incident occurred in the Madhyam Kenduya area of Bulbulchandi in Habibpur, Malda. An elderly woman named Gita Swarnakar, living alone in a house made of tin and bamboo mats, lost everything. The elderly woman, who depended on her widow pension, lost Rs 10,000 in cash, furniture, and important documents kept in her house, all reduced to ashes. Upon receiving the news, Malda Zilla Parishad member Tarashankar Roy and BJP leadership of Habibpur Mandal No. 5 reached the spot and handed over food items, tarpaulins, blankets, and utensils to the helpless elderly woman, while assuring her of administrative assistance. These back-to-back fire incidents have highlighted the need to rethink administrative security measures.
