Fire at posh Park Street
Fire broke out at Apeejay House in Park Street on Monday, sending both office-goers and revellers into an alarm. All the people in the eight-floor building were evacuated. Ten fire tenders were rushed to the spot to bring the fire under control. No casualty was reported. Traffic was diverted off the busy Park Street. The fire at the business district of the eastern metropolis during the peak hours raised the eyebrows of many. The city already has seen a devastating blaze at the Bagree Market in central Kolkata just before the Durga Puja.
Salary denied, ex-staffer robs coffee shop
A disgruntled employee of a coffee chain robbed an outlet in Salt Lake on Sunday after he was denied the salary for a month-and-half and asked to leave without serving a notice period. With help from two teenage accomplices, Accused Shankar Das raided a Cafe Coffee Day outlet in AD block of Salt Lake and robbed the cashier of `15,000 at gunpoint. Das used to get a monthly salary `8,000.
The three accused were nabbed and produced in the court. With lack of new industries and a stagnant employment market, many youths of Kolkata and neighbouring districts work in fast food and coffee chains which have mushroomed across the city in the recent years. However, the pay is meagre and exploitation is rife in this sector.
Kolkata prepares for Kali Puja
As the rest of the country prepares to celebrate Diwali, Kolkata and the rest of Bengal have already decked up their houses for Kali Puja, a festival coinciding with Diwali. While Lord Kali is worshipped, crackers are burst and lamps lit to celebrate Diwali at the same time.
Though a bit lesser in grandeur than Durga Puja, Kali Puja is also widely celebrated across the state. Nevertheless, youths are at the forefront of these festivities. The markets of the city are teeming with the people busy buying crackers, decorative lights and earthen lamps for the festivities. Also, the youths are busy preparing for the community Kali Pujas, cultural programmes and events that are held on the day of the puja.
Bengal wins blind football tourney
In a first-of-its-kind, an Eastern zone football tournament for the blind was held in Kolkata which was won by the host team. The two-day event organised by the Indian Blind Football Federation (IBFF) saw participation of teams from West Bengal, Odisha, Mizoram and Bihar. The first match between Bengal and Mizoram ended in a draw.
The final also featured the two teams. Bengal players had the last laugh. Special footballs with bells inside them were used for the matches. Typically, a blind football team features five players and a guide helping the players reach the goal. Though the organisers and the players spoke about the lack of facilities, they were hopeful that the event was a start to better things.