A major fire destroyed a three-storey house and four shops in Howrah’s Chatterjeehat area on Saturday morning, leaving one person injured and prompting a fire-safety complaint against a rubber unit operating in the building, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin – Kolkata.
The fire broke out in the New Road area during the early hours of Mahalaya. Five residents were rescued from the building, while an elderly man, identified as Sheikh Nazir Hossain, was found injured. He was first taken to a local hospital and later shifted to Howrah District Hospital for treatment.
The report said the building’s ground floor housed a rubber warehouse or manufacturing unit. A preliminary assessment indicated that the fire may have started there before spreading rapidly through the other parts of the building. The precise cause had not been established at the time of reporting. A short circuit was also mentioned as a possible cause.
Three fire engines reached the site after residents alerted the fire department. A fourth engine was later sent to the area as firefighters worked to contain the blaze. Local residents also attempted to put out the fire before the emergency crews arrived. Firefighting operations continued for around two hours before the situation was brought under control.
The blaze consumed the entire three-storey house along with four shops, according to the report. The residents escaped, but the incident exposed the risks of commercial or industrial activity operating within a densely occupied residential structure. The report did not provide details on the building’s approvals, the unit’s operating status or whether the premises had previously been inspected.
Fire department officials reportedly found that the rubber unit had no fire-extinguishing arrangements. A complaint was filed with the police against the factory, while officials began examining the circumstances that led to the incident. The report did not state whether any arrests had been made or whether the building had been declared structurally unsafe.
The case also highlights the immediate enforcement challenge posed by mixed-use buildings, where combustible materials, commercial activity and residential occupation can exist within the same structure. In this incident, the fire service response prevented further spread, but the full extent of the damage and the final cause of the fire will depend on the investigation.
The fire has been brought under control. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze and the alleged absence of fire-safety equipment at the rubber unit.
