Warehouse fire: 2 trapped on top floor of Pathuriaghata bldg die of asphyxiation

Kolkata: At least two persons, both priests from Rajasthan, died in a fire that broke out inside a warehouse of a textile firm on the top floor of a four-storey building at Pathuriaghata Street, Jorabagan on Sunday night.
At least four others, including a husband and wife, had a narrow escape. Two of the injured are still recuperating in a hospital. The deceased had been identified as Kishanlal Lal Upadhyay (58) alias Shastriji and Sunil Kumar Sharma (48).
Police said the intensity of the fire was such that even though it was contained during the early Monday morning hours with the help of 15 fire tenders, the cooling effort continued till the evening.
The victims had rushed to the terrace to save themselves from the fire but found the terrace door was locked. Cops suspect that suffocation might have caused both the deaths. Police have also confirmed that no burn injuries were found on either of them.
While Sharma was residing here for a long time and performing puja locally, Upadhyay had arrived in Kolkata to perform a special puja a few days ago.
"Sharma hails from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan. Upadhyay hails from Jaipur in Rajasthan. Both used to stay in the attic room adjacent to the staircase of the building located at 65A, Pathuriaghata Street in Jorabagan. Cops and fire department officers rescued them in an unconscious condition and shifted them to Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, where the on-duty EMO (emergency medical officer) declared both as brought dead," said Rupesh Kumar, joint CP (Crime & Traffic).
The exact reason behind the fire is yet to be ascertained, though prima facie, a short circuit is being blamed for the incident.
The Jorabagan Police said that they were awaiting reports from the fire department in this regard. A forensic team has also been requisitioned to collect evidence.
According to locals, while 70% of the floor space was used by the textile firm, the remaining space shared by another garment unit and a jewellery unit.
Around 12 to 15 workers, including tailors and jewellery artisans, usually work and stay on this floor. "With the floor being stuffed with combustible material, the fire spread quickly," said Ramesh Sharma, a local resident.
According to witnesses, the fire first broke out in a room where four persons were sleeping, including a couple. However, they managed to escape to safety.
"Munna Ram (30) and his wife Rajani Ram (28) managed to escape but had to be admitted to the Calcutta Medical College as they were feeling unwell. Both are presently out of danger," said an investigating officer.
Sources said the fire department had a difficult time navigating the narrow roads. "Once at the spot, we had to climb up and break the grills. We also climbed onto the adjoining building, removed grills, and sprayed water. Fire brigade personnel and police promptly evacuated residents from the building," said an officer from the Disaster Management Group that attended the emergency call.
Mayor Firhad Hakim, who visited the spot, said an inquiry committee comprising the state fire services department, Kolkata Police and Kolkata Municipal Corporation would submit a report based on which the civic body would initiate action. "We have come across several factors that led to the incident," said Hakim.
According to a KMC buildings department official, the department has already spotted several deviations in the building plans that were sanctioned by the department. "The building is a century-old structure. Though it is not structurally vulnerable, changes in the structure made from time to time have made it now a hazardous building," said the KMC official.
(With inputs from
Saikat Ray)