KOLKATA: A devastating fire broke out in an eight-storey government office building in the Alipore area of Kolkata on Wednesday, engulfing several floors and prompting the deployment of more than 10 fire engines to bring the blaze under control.
No casualties have been reported so far. The fire was first spotted on the fourth floor, where the office of the South 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad is housed, at around 10 am.
The blaze rapidly spread to several other floors, including the seventh and eighth floors of the building.
Concrete chunks and air-conditioning units installed on different floors were seen falling from the building because of the intense heat generated by the fire.
The incident occurred during peak office hours when state government employees were arriving for work. However, they were prevented by fire brigade officials from entering their respective offices.
A senior fire brigade official said that the fire had generated huge volumes of black smoke because of combustible materials such as office furniture made of plyboard and other items.
"The fire has been brought under control to some extent so far," the official said, adding that no casualties had been reported till then.
Unofficial sources said that one person had been stranded on the seventh floor of the building, and fire service personnel were trying to rescue him using a rope.