Kolkata: Over 2500 shops and seven multi-storey buildings in Kolkata's historic Burrabazaar gutted, the fire that began on Saturday morning raged through all of Sunday.
The flames engulfed the 13th floor of Nandram Market as well, while 50 fire engines and scores of firefighters from the civil and defence units strained to contain it.
The losses, roughly estimated at Rs 200 crore, could only rise.
While the traders face an uncertain future, the government says, this was a tragedy waiting to happen.
“People have not only opened shops but are also living there. The fire department had already alerted them about the bad condition and put a poster there that people should evacuate the place,” said Pratim Chatterjee, West Bengal Fire Services Minister.
Not just that, the buildings were also allegedly stocking inflammable materials illegally.
But that's too late an explanation for the family of 50-year-old Tej Karan Vaidya, a garment wholesaler at Nandram market, who died of a heart attack on Sunday morning following huge losses.
And what's angered traders here is that the Chief Minister who was about four kilometres away from Burrabazzar to attend a CPI-M rally on Sunday, did not visit the spot.
“The Chief Minister can attend the rally but can't come to the victims who lost everything. This is unacceptable, said Pawan khemka, a businessman.
Strange are the politicians, the Chief Minister had time to attend the rally called by his party but he didn't had a minute to stand beside the thousands who were affected on this fire.
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