The fire that broke out in a non-operational bar-cum-restaurant on Camac Street, opposite Allen Park, affected the weekday traffic on Tuesday morning, resulting in multiple diversions.

Traffic on Park Street was disrupted for around 10 minutes at 11am, when thick smoke was spotted billowing out of the building at 1 Camac Street. The ripple effect hit traffic on adjoining roads, too, said police.

“Hundreds of people, including motorists and those who have their office on Park Street, stepped out after hearing about the fire, bringing traffic to a halt,” said an officer of Kolkata Police’s traffic department.

A stretch of Camac Street, between the Park Street and Middleton Row intersections, remained closed to traffic for four hours.

Although Park Street could be cleared in a couple of minutes, vehicular movement on Camac Street was hit because of the fire and the movement of the 14 fire tenders that were sent to the spot.

Many who were heading for office said they got late because of the traffic restrictions.

“I was stuck at the Mullickbazar crossing. The vehicles ahead of me were not moving. I learned that there was a huge fire ahead. I managed to take Circus Avenue and reached JL Nehru Road through the Exide crossing,” said a resident of Anandapur, who was heading for his office in Bowbazar.

A hair stylist who works at a salon on Wood Street said she was late by half an hour as she was caught in the snarl near Park Street.

Many were stopped from entering Camac Street and asked to take alternative routes.

All north-bound vehicles that were heading towards JL Nehru Road through Camac Street were diverted through three points, police said.

“We diverted traffic to ensure vehicles did not go near the site of the fire, where fire tenders were working,” said an officer of the South traffic guard.

Vehicles on Camac Street were diverted through Middleton Row and then through the Jeevan Deep crossing. No vehicle was allowed to enter Camac Street from AJC Bose Road.

An officer in the traffic department said only a portion of Camac Street was closed to traffic.

“The stretch of Camac Street between the Middleton Row and Park Street crossings was completely closed to traffic between 11am and 3pm. The rest of the road was open and diversions were made to ensure traffic kept moving,” the officer said.