KOLKATA: A fire broke out on the 28th floor of Tower 3 at the posh South City Complex in Kolkata on Friday morning, triggering panic among residents, particularly those living on the upper floors of the 30-storey building.
Seven fire engines were pressed into service to bring the blaze under control within 50 minutes, fire brigade sources said.
No casualties have been reported so far.
The fire was spotted around 9.30 am in a storeroom of the South City apartments, located along Prince Anwar Shah Road, near the complex’s sprawling shopping mall in the southern part of the city. Firefighters rushed to the spot soon after receiving information about the incident and brought the blaze under control.
Thick smoke engulfed the area, while the electricity supply to the tower was disconnected as soon as the fire was detected.
Residents were evacuated, with children and elderly people having to use the staircases after the power supply was cut off, leaving the lifts unavailable.
Debashis Basu, general secretary of the South City Residents’ Association, told the media, “Fire has broken out in Tower 3. Residents have been evacuated. Police from Jadavpur Police Station and fire brigade personnel have arrived at the spot.”
Both police and fire brigade officials said there were no injuries or casualties.
The cause of the fire is being investigated. Officials initially suspected that a short circuit might have triggered the blaze. The extent of the damage is yet to be ascertained, they added.