Fire burns down Barasat DM Office treasury department, important records lost

A major fire broke out in the early hours at the Treasury Department within the District Magistrate's office complex in Barasat, North 24 Parganas. The blaze caused significant damage, destroying several important documents, office equipment, and multiple laptops. According to officials, the fire was first noticed by security personnel who saw smoke billowing from the treasury section around 4:30 AM.

They immediately raised an alarm and called the fire brigade. Two fire engines were dispatched to the spot and battled the flames for nearly two hours before bringing the situation under control. While no casualties or injuries were reported, the extent of damage to government records is still being assessed.

Treasury officials fear that several financial documents, files related to disbursement, and digital data may have been permanently lost in the fire. Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit.

The office was closed for the weekend, and most of the equipment had been left unattended overnight. An official report from the fire department is awaited. District Magistrate, Md. Anwar Hussain visited the site shortly after the fire was extinguished and ordered a thorough inquiry. He assured that digital backups, if available, will be restored immediately, and all efforts will be made to reconstruct the lost records.