West Bengal, 10 March (H.S.): A major fire broke out at a market near Gobardanga Railway Station in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday morning, triggering panic among shopkeepers and local residents, officials said.

According to preliminary information, the fire started at a hotel located near platform number one of the station and quickly spread to nearby shops in the market area.

Locals suspected that explosions in cooking gas cylinders kept inside the hotel caused the flames to intensify rapidly, turning the blaze severe within a short time.

As the market is located in a densely populated area, the fire created panic among traders and residents nearby.

Two fire tenders rushed to the spot soon after the incident was reported and began efforts to douse the flames. Local residents and shopkeepers also tried to control the blaze before the arrival of the fire brigade.

As news of the fire spread, several shopkeepers hurried to save their establishments, while many others shut their shops and moved to safer locations.

The incident also led to temporary panic among passengers present at the station as thick black smoke engulfed parts of the platform area.

Fire department officials said the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage would be assessed after the flames were completely brought under control.

Railway sources said the smoke caused brief inconvenience to passengers on the platform, but train services were not affected.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey