Several warehouses were gutted as a major fire broke out in Kolkata's Lohapatty area in the early hours of Thursday, officials said.

Twenty fire engines fought the blaze, which broke out around 1.30 am, for around seven hours to bring it under control, they said.

The fire first broke out at a godown that stored plastic materials, and then spread to the adjoining warehouses in the congested locality near Maniktala, taking a devastating shape, they said.

At least five godowns were burnt to the ashes, but nobody was injured in the fire, they added.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, officials said, noting that it would be known after a detailed investigation.

"The cooling process is on and hopefully in another 30-40 minutes we will be able to finish our job," an officer said in the morning.

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