Kolkata: Railways employees stand on the road as they are not allowed to enter the New Koilaghat building (Eastern Railway HQ), a day after a fire, in Kolkata, Tuesday, March 9, 2021.
After nine people, including three railway officials and a Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel died in the Monday evening fire that broke out at a multi-story building in Kolkata, a senior Railway official said that report of the high-level committee set up to probe the incident will be submitted within three weeks.
"We are deeply saddened by the demise of nine persons including three Railway officials. A high-level probe committee led by Senior Chief Security Officer has been formed, as per the rules. Reports will be submitted within three weeks," DJ Narain, the Additional Director General (Public Relations), Railways, said.
Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police has registered a case in the incident and the investigation is being carried out by its Detective Department.
The fire on the 13th floor of the New Koilaghat building on Strand Road, which houses offices of the Railways at Kolkata's Strand Road claimed the lives of four firefighters, two railway officials, an assistant sub-inspector of Kolkata Police, a Railway Protection Force official and a security person.
The fire brigade reached the incident site at around 6.30 pm and started operations to control the fire, which was brought under control by 11 pm.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed his grief at the tragedy and approved an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF for the next of kin of the deceased as well as Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured in the incident.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier announced a Rs 10 lakh compensation and government jobs to one member of the deceased person's next of kin.
Reacting to the incident, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday called for a technical overhaul of fire and municipal services.
Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal announced that a high-level committee will be set up to ascertain the cause of the fire. Goyal said that that assistance has been provided by the Railways to the state government and that officials were working for rescue and relief efforts.
(With ANI inputs)
