A number of residents of the fire-hit tower of Diamond City North in northeast Kolkata’s Nagerbazar spent Wednesday night at the homes of relatives or neighbours.
With power supply yet to be fully restored to the 17-storeyed tower and lifts not functional till Thursday evening, many residents said they had made alternative living arrangements. In the evening, only one lift in the tower started working only partially.
A fire broke out in a flat on the 16th floor of the 17-storeyed tower on Wednesday afternoon and spread to two more apartments.
Ganesh Joshi, who owns an apartment on the 16th floor of the affected tower, said his in-laws and wife Shivani Joshi could not enter home as electricity was not restored till late on Thursday and the entire floor smelt of burnt ash and cinder.
“I have made arrangements for them to stay at my ancestral home in Burrabazar. We will only move in once the floor is cleaned and electricity is restored fully,” said Joshi.
Another resident of the affected tower, Rupa Sanyal, a teacher of botany at Bhairab Ganguly College, said she had visited her flat in the afternoon but found the power connection had yet to be restored.
Sanyal, who lives on a 13th floor flat with her husband and seven-year-old daughter, who suffers from a severe breathing disorder and needs respiratory support, said she could not bring her daughter back because her respiratory support system needs constant power supply.
“We could move in at 7pm, after power supply was partially restored to our floor. Thankfully, my daughter’s respiratory support system was back online and she is feeling a lot better now,” said Sanyal.
Arijit Ghosh, director of the Diamond City North residents’ welfare association, said they were working in close coordination with the fire department and the power utility to ensure power supply was fully restored at the earliest.
“We are trying our best. A safety audit will be carried out by our electricians in consultation with the power utility and fire officials. The fire has damaged one of our lifts. We are trying to get it repaired as soon as possible,” Ghosh told The Telegraph on Thursday.
On Wednesday, at least 20 residents living in the tower that caught fire were trapped in the smoke in various parts of the building. Thick fumes had enveloped the staircase and made it difficult for the occupants to come down by themselves. They were rescued by firemen.
Three flats on the 16th floor — 16B, 16D and 16E — were worst affected, an official said.
Diamond City North, a complex that is home to more than 1,000 families, has 30 towers and is located next to the Diamond Plaza shopping mall in a congested pocket. The tower that caught fire is the tallest with 102 flats.