Kolkata: Najma, a slum dweller in Topsia here, saved Rs 60,000 for getting her daughter hitched on January 12. She also bought some jewellery for it with the neighbours' help.
Little did she know that her dream would turn into ashes following the inferno on Friday afternoon which engulfed nearly 200 shanties. It took nearly four hours for 18 firefighters to douse the fire and personnel from the Pragati Maidan are looking for those feared trapped under the huts.
When her hut caught fire, Najma stood by the road, seeing her long-cherished dream gradually ending up in smoke. All she could procure for her daughter's wedding turned to ashes. The arrangement for her daughter's nuptials is halfway through.
"The daughter's wedding date has been fixed for January 12. The preparations are almost over. And before that, everything has been destroyed in the fire. Her father is no more. I can't think of how to get my daughter married. I have other children too. I was trying to make arrangements for her wedding. And now everything is burnt to ashes. Who will help us now? Although the administration has assured it will chip in," a sobbing Najma told ETV Bharat.
Along with Najma's daughter, it is learnt that the preparations for the January 15 wedding of another young man have also been burnt to ashes along with Rs 60,000 in cash.
The remaining residents were crying inconsolably, wondering how they would sustain themselves, what they would eat, and how they would spend the harsh winter ahead.
Disaster Management Minister Javed Ahmed Khan, Fire Minister Sujit Bose, and Trinamool Congress leader Swarna Kamal Saha reached the spot to oversee the situation and assuage the locals. They have assured the shanty dwellers to extend every possible help to start life from scratch.
The fire broke out in a slum next to a multi-storey building near B N Road in Topsia. The surrounding area was covered in thick and black smoke. Several houses and shops were reduced to ashes. As the area is densely populated, the fire brigade personnel had a tough time bringing the fire under control. The intensity of the fire prevented the firefighters from moving closer.
Locals feared the fire would spread quickly if not brought under control, exacerbating the damage. They started scrambling for help. Seeing the personnel from Kolkata Police, infuriated locals pelted bricks and stones at them. The Rapid Action Force (RAF) had to be called in to prevent the situation from worsening. Many police personnel sustained injuries and were taken to a local hospital. However, the exact number of injured is yet to be known.
Also Read:
