A fire at Kolkata’s Baghajatin market gutted at least 35 grocery and fruit stalls early on Tuesday, destroying festive-season stocks worth several lakhs of rupees and leaving traders uncertain about when business can resume. The blaze broke out around 3.30am in the 79-year-old market located between Garia and Jadavpur.
Fifteen fire engines were pressed into service after flames spread through a section of the market. Firefighters were still trying to contain a pocket of fire around 1.30pm, several hours after the incident began. The cause of the blaze has not yet been established, and a fire brigade official said a forensic report would be awaited to determine what triggered it.
The market’s structure and the way goods were stored contributed to the rapid spread, according to the fire brigade. Large sections were covered with plastic sheets, while oil stored in several grocery shops further fuelled the flames. Witnesses said some tins exploded and were thrown into the air during the fire. Bikes parked in an open area outside the grocery section also caught fire.
The affected traders had stocked up for the festive season. The movement of goods is restricted between Mahalaya and Kali Puja, prompting many shopkeepers to hold larger inventories during the period. The fire occurred while Durga Puja was still under way and just days before Lakshmi Puja, one of the busiest periods of the year for grocery and fruit sellers.
“Durga Puja is not yet over, and Lakshmi Puja is just days away. This is the peak season for our business. The fire has left us devastated,” grocery shop owner Abhijit Pal was quoted as saying. Fruit seller Chandranath Banik said both daily supplies and festive stocks had been destroyed. The Baghajatin area has many families with roots in East Bengal who celebrate the Puja season, he said.
Traders were still assessing the extent of their losses by Tuesday afternoon. Ratan Das, another grocery shop owner, said some stock had been burnt while other goods were damaged by the water used to douse the flames. “We do not know when we will be able to resume business. We are still counting our losses,” he said.
Baghajatin market serves both wholesale and retail customers and includes fish, vegetable, grocery and fruit sections. Its wholesale fish market remains open through the night, bringing regular movement of traders and visitors to the area. One shop owner said several visitors had parked their bikes outside the grocery section before those vehicles caught fire.
The fire brigade’s forensic assessment is expected to establish the cause of the incident. Until then, traders will continue to assess the damage, including losses caused by fire and firefighting operations, while the market’s reopening remains uncertain.
