Fire breaks out at restaurant located in Durgapur City Centre's hotel; triggers panic

A major fire scare gripped Durgapur’s bustling City Centre area on Wednesday afternoon after a blaze broke out at the restaurant of The Citi Residenci Hotel. The incident, which occurred during busy hours, saw thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the establishment, quickly engulfing the main road and surrounding shops. The sight of the heavy smoke caused immediate panic among pedestrians and nearby shopkeepers, many of whom feared the fire might spread to the densely packed commercial buildings in the vicinity.

Preliminary reports suggest that the fire originated in the restaurant's kitchen chimney, likely due to an accumulation of soot or a technical malfunction. As soon as the flames were spotted, hotel staff acted swiftly, deploying on-site fire extinguishers to prevent the blaze from spreading to the upper floors of the hotel. Their proactive response played a critical role in containing the fire within the kitchen area before professional help arrived.

Upon receiving the alert, one fire tender from the Durgapur Fire Station rushed to the spot. It took approximately 30 minutes of coordinated effort between the firemen and the hotel staff to completely "arrest" the fire and clear the smoke. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the staff or the guests staying at the hotel. While the fire was brought under control relatively quickly, the thick smoke caused significant disruption to local traffic and business activities for over an hour.