A fire broke out at the state government-run Central Dairy at Milk Colony in Belgachhia on Wednesday afternoon. Around a dozen fire tenders battled for over two hours to bring it under control.
The fire was spotted around 4pm with flames leaping out of the godown at the ground floor of the three-storied building, which is also the administrative building of the central dairy, a section of eye-witnesses told police.
Six fire tenders initially reached the spot, located inside the sprawling compound of the central dairy, and over time more fire tenders joined the team as flames continued to leap out and spread to the rooms on the ground floor. Police said no one was injured.
Sujit Bose, fire and emergency service minister, reached the spot to oversee the fire fighting. The disaster management group of the Calcutta police also joined the firefighters.
“The exact cause of the fire couldn’t be ascertained. It appears to have primarily resulted from an electrical short circuit,” Bose said. “A thorough investigation will reveal the actual cause of the fire. We expect the forensic experts to reach the spot tomorrow and draw up a report,” he said.
The floors above the godown house offices and when the fire broke out, a few employees present at the offices scampered out of the building.
With the firefighters struggling, payloaders were brought in to break open the closed entrances that could be used to spray water jets.
Till late in the evening, the cooling down operation of the building continued after the fire was brought under control, police said.
“At least two rooms on the ground floor of the building were stacked with inflammable articles,” a senior fire service official said.
Some of the dairy staff at the site told police that the number of employees at the building was comparatively lesser than other days and the godown on the ground floor was locked when flames were spotted.
“The exact extent of the damage because of the fire will be ascertained later when the office is thrown open following the visit of the forensic experts,” a senior officer of the dairy’s administration said.
Police said the building’s ground floor where the fire broke out will remain cordoned off till the fire department and the forensic experts give a nod to reopen.