A fire at a suspended restaurant near Kolkata’s Biswa Bangla Gate in New Town on Wednesday evening prompted the rescue of around 50 people and led police to order a security audit of the facility. The fire broke out at about 6.30 pm while the restaurant was crowded with customers and staff, according to Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate commissioner Rathore Amit Kumar Bharat, as reported by Sangbad Pratidin.
The fire was seen emerging from the lower portion of the restaurant, with thick black smoke quickly spreading around the structure. Multiple fire engines and police personnel reached the site soon after the incident was reported. Two fire engines were specifically reported to have been deployed, and everyone inside the restaurant was brought down safely.
The source reported that approximately 50 people, including employees, were present when the fire started. The rapid evacuation prevented a larger accident, although the incident caused panic among visitors in the area. No deaths or injuries were reported in the supplied account.
“The fire started at around 6.30 pm. The fire brigade and police brought the situation under control very quickly,” Commissioner Bharat was quoted as saying. The authorities have begun investigating how the fire started. A short circuit was cited as an initial possibility, but the cause had not been confirmed at the time of reporting.
The restaurant is located near the Biswa Bangla Gate, a prominent visitor destination in the New Town-Rajarhat area. The surrounding location had attracted substantial crowds during the puja period, and the restaurant was reportedly busy from the morning on Wednesday. Its suspended design and elevated access arrangements made the speed and organisation of the evacuation an important operational factor during the emergency.
Following the incident, police directed the relevant authorities to conduct a security audit of the restaurant. The audit is expected to examine the facility’s fire-safety arrangements and other safety systems, although the supplied report does not specify its scope, deadline or the agency responsible for carrying it out.
Traffic movement in the area was disrupted for some time as emergency services responded to the fire, resulting in congestion around the site. The situation was later reported to have returned to normal. The investigation into the cause of the fire and the ordered security audit are the next official steps.
