2 days ago
Calcutta Fire Department Expands Mall Safety Checks After Hotel Blaze
Fire officials are checking shopping malls and large stores in Calcutta.
They want to make sure these busy places are ready if a fire happens.
Teams visited several malls and stores on Wednesday and Thursday.
They looked at kitchens, electrical equipment and emergency exits.
They also tested smoke alarms by creating smoke near detectors.
Sprinklers and fire extinguishers were checked too.
Officials said no major problems were found in the malls inspected on Wednesday.
The checks began after a hotel fire killed nine people last month.
The inspections will continue, and businesses with serious problems may receive official notices.
Fire department teams inspected malls and departmental stores across Calcutta on Wednesday and Thursday.
Officials checked kitchens, electrical appliances, emergency exits, alarms, sprinklers and fire extinguishers.
Inspections covered sites on Camac Street, Salt Lake, New Town, Kankurgachi and other areas.
A preliminary review found no major deficiencies in the malls audited on Wednesday.
The audit will continue for several weeks, with showcause notices possible for inadequate fire preparedness.
- Who
- The state fire and emergency services department and teams of fire officials.
- What
- Officials are conducting fire safety audits of malls and departmental stores, testing equipment and emergency arrangements.
- Where
- Shopping malls and stores across Calcutta, including locations in Camac Street, Salt Lake, New Town, Kankurgachi, Shibpur and Maniktala.
- When
- Inspections took place on Wednesday and Thursday and are scheduled to continue over the next few weeks.
- Why
- The department is checking fire preparedness at crowded public places, particularly ahead of the festive season, following a hotel blaze that killed nine people last month.
Key facts
- Inspection focus
- Kitchens, electrical appliances, emergency exits and firefighting equipment.
- Equipment tested
- Smoke detectors, alarm bells, water sprinklers and fire extinguishers.
- Locations visited Thursday
- Pantaloons and Westside on Camac Street, City Centre I in Salt Lake, City Centre II in New Town and Pantaloons in Kankurgachi.
- Locations visited Wednesday
- South City Mall, Avani Riverside Mall, Mani Square and around three other shopping malls.
- Initial findings
- No major deficiencies were found in the shopping malls audited on Wednesday.
- Possible action
- Showcause notices may be issued if reports identify inadequate equipment or preparedness.
- Trigger for the drive
- A hotel blaze on Free School Street last month in which nine people died.
Quotes
A fire department official
An unnamed official of Calcutta’s fire and emergency services department
“Our main focus is the kitchens where fire is lit, and electrical appliances are used and the emergency exits of the shopping mall and departmental stores. We are checking if the existing firefighting apparatus are adequate and operational.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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