No casualties as fire engulfs building in central Kolkata; fire minister, mayor visit site
Kolkata, Nov 15 (PTI): At least 20 fire tenders were pressed into service on Saturday to douse a massive blaze in a multi-storey building in Kolkata’s congested Ezra Street area, officials said.
No casualties were reported, police added.
The blaze was brought under control after almost 10 hours by the firefighters, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said.
"The fire broke out around 5.30 am, and 20 fire engines were deployed to control the blaze," a senior official of the state fire services department said.
"No casualties were reported, no individuals were trapped inside the building. Emergency teams cordoned off the area as a precaution. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though the presence of electronic equipment and closely packed storage spaces is believed to have accelerated the spread of the fire," the official told PTI.
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Fire Minister Sujit Bose and Mayor Firhad Hakim both visited the spot and monitored the rescue operations until the fire was brought under control.
"There has been no human casualty, but a huge monetary loss. I will urge the businessmen to do their business, but they must maintain and follow the fire safety norms," Bose said.
Halkim said that he would convene a meeting next week to review safety norms.
"We will probe how much fire safety norms were followed here at Ezra Street. I will hold a meeting so that businessmen can do their business without facing any problems. I want help from the police in this connection," Hakim said.
Talking to PTI, a senior official of the fire department said that currently firefighters were carrying out cooling process.
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Elephant calf brought from Bijnor kept under care at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Pilibhit (PTI): A 19-day-old elephant calf, brought from Bijnor, was placed under care at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Sunday, an official said and added that the calf got separated from its mother in the forest area of Bijnor.
The calf was born on December 2 in the Bijnor forest area and got separated from its mother shortly after birth, the official said.
The forest department made several attempts to reunite it with its mother, but without any success. To ensure the calf's safety and better care, it was decided to transfer it to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on the instructions of senior officials.
On Saturday, Deputy Director Manish Singh received the calf. Special arrangements have been made in the reserve for its care. It has been kept in a safe and clean environment to provide it with a natural setting and protect it from external noise and disturbances.
Singh told reporters that raising an 19-day-old calf is challenging.
It requires a special diet as a substitute for mother's milk and constant monitoring.
He said a special team has been formed to provide 24-hour care. Since the calf is very young, it is being cared for like a newborn baby.
According to Singh, the primary responsibility for monitoring the calf's health has been entrusted to PTR's veterinarian, Dr Daksh Gangwar. Under his supervision, a complete record of the calf's health checkups, diet, and body temperature is being maintained. The team is ensuring that the calf does not contract any infection.
