Massive fire at Howrah's garment market, 50 shops gutted, 18 fire tenders rushed to spot

About 18 fire fighting engines rushed to the spot and started dousing the massive blaze that gutted many shops in the garments market at West Bengal's Howrah. Immediate priority was given to saving lives and rescue anybody who may be trapped in the fire.

Howrah (West Bengal) : In a massive fire that broke out in Howrah's garment market, Mangal Haat, over 50 shops were gutted and huge damage was caused to property. As locals immediately passed on information, 12 fire fighting engines rushed to the spot and started dousing the flames. As per initial reports, there were no casualties or injuries to anyone in the incident.

The fire mishap took place in Mangal Haat area near the Howrah police station. The flames spread to many shops quickly. Fire tenders faced the problem of water shortage initially. And, local residents have extended a helping hand in the firefighting operations. The officials arrived at the spot and they were trying to ascertain the cause of the fire. Immediate priority was given to saving lives and rescue anybody trapped in the fire.

As per sources, the flames spread very fast and became highly uncontrollable. A large number of police arrived at the spot. The Rapid Action Force (RAF) teams have also rushed to the spot to assist in the firefighting operations. As the flames spread in a large area, the fire tenders started spraying water from all sides. Howrah's Divisional Fire Officer and staff from several fire stations were engaged in the firefighting operations.

Mangal Haat has been the largest garments market in eastern India. The traders said that they had suffered heavy losses in the fire and urged the Chief Minister to come to their rescue.