Blaze at vest manufacturing factory in Kolkata, 30 fire tenders deployed

Kolkata: A massive fire broke out at a vest manufacturing unit and warehouse in the city's Dumdum area in the early hours of Friday, police said.

Fortunately, there were no injuries reported from the blaze, which started around 3 am at Nagerbazar on Jessore Road, near Sarojini Naidu College.

According to a senior officer, at least 30 fire tenders were pressed into service to extinguish the flames, believed to have originated from an adjacent ice cream factory.

Local residents pitched in to assist firefighters, who have been struggling for over seven hours to bring the blaze under control.

"The presence of inflammable materials contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. There were reports of a few explosions from inside. Our firefighters are working to contain it," the officer told PTI.

"The fire has not spread and is under control. It may take some time more to douse it completely," he said, adding that that the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

State fire minister Sujit Bose is at the spot to supervise the operation.

The area, home to several warehouses and small manufacturing units, posed additional challenges for firefighters battling to prevent the fire from spreading.

As a precautionary measure, power supply in the area has been cut off, with the entire vicinity enveloped in thick black smoke.