Kolkata, 11 October (H.S.). Panic gripped the Sabra area under Dantan-II block of West Midnapore district late Friday night after a massive fire broke out at the houses of two Trinamool Congress leaders. Both houses were completely gutted in the blaze before fire services and police brought the situation under control after an intense two-hour operation.

According to initial reports, the incident occurred around 10 p.m. when flames suddenly engulfed the mud houses of Block Trinamool President Iftikhar Ali and his neighbour, Zilla Parishad member Khairul Bashar Khan, also known as Babul. Within minutes, the fire spread rapidly, sparking panic in the locality.

Villagers immediately launched rescue efforts and informed the fire department. A fire tender from Egra reached the spot shortly after and began firefighting operations. With the assistance of local residents and the police, the blaze was finally doused around midnight.

Senior officials, including Additional Superintendent of Police (Kharagpur) Sandeep Sen, Belda Police Station Officer-in-Charge Govardhan Sahu, Jogedia Outpost in-charge Deepak Dev, SDPO Ripon Bawol, and Circle Inspector Sheikh Rabi Uddin, rushed to the site to oversee the rescue operation.

Dantan-II Block Development Officer (BDO) Abhirup Bhattacharya also reached the location and assessed the situation. However, the exact cause of the fire remains unknown. Police have launched a detailed investigation to determine whether it was an accident or a deliberate act.

Local residents said the sudden blaze created widespread panic in the area, and fears of foul play have not been ruled out.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh