Massive fire at Dhapa’s motor oil factory in Kolkata

Massive fire engulfs Kolkata motor oil factory, raising concerns about fire safety in the city.

Another massive fire has engulfed Kolkata. This is one of the multiple incidents that occurred in the past month, has led to serious concerns about fire safety in the city.

A fire broke out at a motor oil factory in the Mathapukur area, Dhapa, Kolkata, on July 2 at around 11.30 am. Officials first sent nine fire engines to the spot to control the fire but it was later increased to twenty.

Firefighters used 800 litres of foam to bring the fire under control. The fire engulfed the entire factory and the whole area around the factory was covered in thick black smoke.

No casualties were reported, but it took the firefighters more than three hours to bring the fire under control. No one was injured in the fire, the cause of which is being investigated, a firefighting official added.

It took a long time to bring the fire under control because there were a lot of combustible chemicals and inflammable objects inside the motor oil factory.

Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose reached the spot and met the firemen and took stock of the situation.

The area around the factory is congested and the houses are packed against one another. Firefighters feared that the fire could spread to these houses at any moment. As a precautionary measure the fire fighters vacated all the houses nearby to keep the residents safe.