Festive fervour has gripped West Bengal as preparations for Kali Puja, also known as Shyama Puja, reach their final stages across the state. Villages and urban centres alike are illuminated with festive lights, while several prominent marquees in Kolkata have already been inaugurated and massive crowds gather to witness large budget celebrations in the districts. However, the celebrations in East Medinipur's Panskura took a tragic turn when a sudden fire broke out, dampening the festive spirit.
Evening blaze causes heavy property loss
Just a day prior to Kali Puja on Saturday evening, a grand, high budget puja marquee caught fire and was reduced to ashes. This alarming incident took place in Yashoda village, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Panskura police station area in East Medinipur district. According to available details, the elaborate marquee had been constructed by the Yashoda Kalibazar Byabsayee Samiti along with the local villagers. The flames erupted suddenly on Saturday evening at around 5 pm, and preliminary assessments point toward an electrical short circuit as the likely cause of the fire.
Firefighting efforts and fortunate escape
Upon receiving information about the disaster, firefighting units and local police personnel rushed to the scene. However, before the fire tenders could arrive, the blaze had already engulfed the entire structure, reducing the elaborate marquee and all its decorations to cinders within moments. The incident has caused lakhs of rupees in damages to the organizers. On a positive note, no major casualties or injuries have been reported from the scene, preventing a greater tragedy. Firefighters worked tirelessly to bring the raging fire under control, though everything inside had already been destroyed by the time they succeeded.
Widespread dismay and preceding incidents
The timing of the disaster, occurring right on the eve of Kali Puja, has left the local residents and event organizers profoundly disheartened. Authorities are currently conducting a detailed investigation to ascertain the exact sequence of events that led to the accident. Notably, just two days prior to this incident, a massive wildfire had broken out in the Chalta forest of Kalimpong in West Bengal, destroying numerous large and small trees.
