Inferno caught state sleeping

The Fire department’s hydraulic ladders reached two-and-a-half hours after the blaze began. The Disaster Management team arrived two hours late and could be of no help to the people trapped. The police Quick Response Team arrived at 4.15 pm — when the situation was well beyond control.

At the end of the 12-hour blaze that swept through two floors of the Stephen Court — a 1910 British-era building — the official toll was 24. Most of the victims were in the 18-25 age group. The toll pegged at six by the police and firemen climbed just after midnight. When the firemen finally managed to enter the affected area,they found 17 bodies next to a grille gate that led to the terrace.

Clutched in the hands of one of the bodies was a bunch of keys. The desperate men and women had tried to open the gate,but were overcome by smoke and the flames before they could escape.

“Five of the 24 bodies are yet to be identified. We have names of around 20 people who are still missing,” said Jawed Shamim,Joint Commissioner of Police. The caretaker of the building and his assistant have been arrested for negligence and other charges. An

FIR was lodged against caretaker Tarun Bagadia and his assistant Ramshankar Singh,Kolkata Police Commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakraborty said. The promoter of the building is absconding.

As per the Fire Brigade,this is the biggest casualty in the last 40 years. The second biggest fire,which took a toll of 10 lives,occurred at a chemical factory in Tiljala in 2007.

What made the situation worse was that it was a disaster waiting to happen.

Back in 1984,not only were the fifth and sixth floors built illegally — in violation of all safety norms — the fire exits and escape routes which the original building had,were all blocked during that construction,said fire service officials.

Even so,there was one fire exit at the rear of the building that the residents were not aware of.

“Today,we spotted the fire exit,which was not used,” said Achintya Mukherjee,Divisional Engineer,Fire Services. “When we asked for the floor plan so we could trace the fire exit,the KMC said they do not have one.”

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Though fire brigade officials are assuming that it might have been caused by a leaking gas cylinder or a short-circuit,the State Forensic Laboratory (SFL) officers are not ruling out sabotage.

Dhurjati Prasad Sengupta,Director,SFL,said: “We cannot rule out any possibility,including a sabotage.”

The homicide squad of the Detective Department also visited the spot along with the state forensic team.

“We have spotted an area on the fourth floor where several welding machines were found,” said a senior forensic official. The team has also found some chemical substance near the lift on the ground floor.

“Prima facie,we have two causes,” said an officer. Either the welding sparked off the fire,or the source was at the ground floor,at the base of the lift. “The fire could have spread to its height in hollow chamber. We will be able to ascertain it after testing the samples,” he added.

The chamber of the lift is completely gutted from the ground to the fifth floor,though fire did not spread anywhere in the ground floor.

The residents of the building,meanwhile,have taken shelter with friends and neighbours.

Nirmal Golcha,resident of flat 5L on fifth floor,said: “We do not have any faith in the police. My wife died of suffocation as no help could reach her.” Golcha (78) was in his Strand Road office when the fire broke out. But he came and entered the building with a neighbour and rescued his granddaughters and 98-year-old mother. His wife Sayeri fell unconscious and was trapped in the building. Her body was recovered on Wednesday morning.