A fire broke out at a suspended restaurant near Biswa Bangla Gate in New Town at around 6.30pm on Wednesday, prompting the evacuation of about 50 people and an order for a security audit of the venue, according to the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate and a report by Sangbad Pratidin.
Two fire engines reached the site soon after the incident was reported. Fire and police personnel brought the situation under control and brought the restaurant’s customers and employees safely downstairs, the report said. No deaths or injuries were reported in the supplied account.
The fire was seen emerging from the lower part of the suspended restaurant, after which smoke spread around the area and caused panic among people present at the venue. The restaurant had reportedly been crowded during the Durga Puja period, including on Wednesday before the incident.
Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Amit Kumar Rathore said the fire started at about 6.30pm and that the fire service and police responded quickly to control the situation. The cause of the fire has not been established. A preliminary possibility of a short circuit has been mentioned, but the report said this had not been confirmed and an investigation had begun.
The police have also directed the relevant authorities to conduct a security audit of the restaurant. The audit is expected to examine the venue’s safety arrangements following the evacuation, although the supplied report does not provide details of its scope, timeline or findings.
The incident also temporarily disrupted traffic in the area and led to congestion. Traffic conditions were later reported to have returned to normal. The venue’s location near Biswa Bangla Gate, a prominent New Town attraction, means that crowd levels and emergency access are important operational considerations during peak visitor periods.
The next formal steps are the investigation into the cause of the fire and the security audit ordered by the police. No further details on the audit or any regulatory action were provided in the report.
