Fire breaks out inside IIT-Kharagpur campus, hall gutted; no casualty

The blaze, which is believed to have broken out between 3 and 3.30 am, was doused after a one-hour effort by firefighters, who used two fire tenders, sources in the Kharagpur fire station said.

Kolkata:A fire broke out inside Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur in the wee hours of Sunday, fire brigade sources said.

However, no loss of life was reported though the blaze gutted Lal Bahadur Shastri Hall, a room used for keeping belongings of the new students of the institute. The blaze, which is believed to have broken out between 3 and 3.30 am, was doused after a one-hour effort by firefighters, who used two fire tenders, sources in the Kharagpur fire station said. According to them, a major loss of life and property was averted as a significant number of occupants were away due to the vacation. Soon after the fire broke out, authorities tried to douse it but the razing fire soon started engulfing the hall forcing occupants to inform firefighters, who intervened and doused the blaze.

The reason of the fire is believed to be short circuit though authorities ordered investigation into the incident to ascertain the exact cause. The premier technical institute remains vulnerable to such incidents as a similar fire broke out at the IIT-Kharagpur in 2022. The blaze started at Tech Market on the campus then. Two fire tenders doused the blaze after two hours of firefight. There had been no reports of any casualty but the incident raised doubts over the efficacy of the fire safety mechanism of the institute.

All the shops in the market were closed when the blaze erupted. The authorities role came under scanner after students and occupants alleged slipshod fire safety management. The authorities had attributed the incident to short circuit.