Smoke forces locals to shift elderly, kids to other places
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Kolkata: The blaze at the Dey's Medical factory on Bondel Road on Saturday afternoon spread panic in the Ballygunge neighbourhood as thick plumes of black smoke shrouded the locality.
Residents rushed out of their homes or ran up to their terraces or onto their balconies to witness the incident unfolding.
Those living adjacent to the factory evacuated as a safety measure and took refuge in others' homes. The streets nearby soon became packed with onlookers, watching the firefighting operation.
As the smoke from the fire, which started in the pharmaceutical section of the factory, spread, residents of the adjacent Ballygunge Place East locality were among the first to spot it.
The Gupta family at 23, Ballygunge Place East had just finished their lunch when they heard a commotion outside. "We heard people shouting on the street, and I stepped out onto the balcony to see what was happening. A huge plume of dark smoke hit me in the face," said Raju Gupta.
"I rushed back inside and told everyone to leave the house immediately." His aunt, Asha Gupta, recalled the panic that followed: "There were six of us at home.
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The house started filling up with smoke. We couldn't breathe properly. We rushed out and took shelter in a neighbour's verandah across the lane. Firemen are still inside working, but we don't know when it will be safe to go back home."
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Others in the area shared similar experiences. Sharmishtha Som, a resident of 1C, Ballygunge Place East, said she didn't think twice before evacuating. "I saw the smoke coming from the factory, located barely 100m from our home.
I bolted all the windows and ran outside with my family," she said. "One of our family members is a senior citizen, whom we sent to a safer place. We won't go back until it's fully under control.
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Several other residents of Ballygunge Place East stepped out of their homes to check the situation. Many put on masks to avoid inhaling fumes. "My domestic help told me about the fire so I came out to check if everybody was safe," said Avantika Daga, a resident.
Several onlookers gathered on the street, watching in silence as flames leapt from the roof of the factory. Elderly residents stood on balconies, covering their faces, visibly shaken by the sight.
"The smoke was so thick and it spread so fast that it became almost difficult to breathe. I was worried about my grandmother whom we shifted to a relative's place down the lane," said Sunny Sharma, a resident of 39, Bondel Road.
Rajiv Jain, businessman, sent his son, daughter-in-law and their newborn baby to a mall nearby. "I didn't want to take chances as we have a newborn at home," said Jain. Neeraj Sarah, who lives behind the factory, also shifted his ailing mother to a relative's place. "I didn't want to take a risk, given her health condition. We also evacuated but we remained in the area," said Sarah.
While the fire was brought under control in the next couple of hours, residents remained uneasy. Many spent the evening outside, waiting for the air to clear.
(inputs by Debobrata Shome)
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