EMERGENCY - WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT - PARK CIRCUS FIRE UPDATE: Nearly 600 shanties were gutted and property worth over several lakhs was destroyed in a midnight fire that broke out in a slum near Park Circus railway station, spreading panic in the area. The slum dwellers who woke up to the screams of their neighbours had no time to collect their household goods and ran for their lives. Fire officials said the flames were first noticed at around 11.45 p.m. and within minutes nearly all the shanties were engulfed in fire. The reason behind the fire is yet to be ascertained, though some locals claimed that a stove burst in one of the shanties led to the incident. Several slum dwellers also claimed an overhead rail wire snapped and fell off, causing the inferno. The fire engines that were dispatched to the spot had a tough time in controlling the fire because of the narrow lanes. It took more than an hour and 25 fire engines to bring the inferno under control. Chaos prevailed as the slum dwellers, who must have lost everything to the massive fire, were seen carrying buckets of water in a desperate bid to save their household goods. I have lost my hard-earned money which was saved for my daughters marriage. The fire has reduced me to a pauper, said Md Shabbir, as he wept inconsolably. Several others echoed similar woes. The victims were seen lining up on both sides of the Tiljala road along with whatever household items they had managed to save. Responsible Charity is now mobilizing and we will be on the ground to offer assistance ASAP. We are pleading for help to urgently collect the following items in Kolkata: - Used clothes - Shoes - Blankets/sheets For our international supporters, please consider donating whatever you can online at: responsiblecharity.org/donate We will be reporting more in the hours ahead.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Apr 2014 03:34:57 +0000
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