Fire breaks out at food plaza outside Kolkata’s Sealdah station

A fire broke out at a food plaza outside Sealdah railway station in Kolkata on Monday morning, triggering panic among passengers and commuters. The fire was reported at around 9:15 am, with thick smoke emerging from food shops near the taxi stand outside the station’s South section. The Sealdah RPF control room confirmed the incident.

Three fire engines were deployed to the spot as firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control. The area was barricaded by the RPF, while passengers and members of the public were moved away from the site as a precaution.

Firefighters had to break the glass walls and wooden doors of the food plaza to access the fire and pump water inside. Personnel wearing oxygen masks entered the enclosed premises, while commercial gas cylinders were being carefully removed from the area.

A firefighter said the blaze was being tackled using water brought by the fire brigade and claimed that the food court's own fire-fighting system had not functioned. He said authorities would examine whether there was any mechanical fault in the system.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established. While some suggested a possible short circuit, fire officials said the exact cause would be known only after an investigation. The incident has also raised questions over fire-safety arrangements at the food plaza. According to the officials, a fire had occurred at the same food court a few months ago.

The plaza has reportedly been created by converting a train coach and contains extensive false-ceiling structures, which may have contributed to the spread of the fire. A railway hospital is located adjacent to the food plaza, and firefighters were also working to prevent the blaze from spreading towards the hospital. No casualties have been reported thus far.