Huge fire breaks out in Topsia near 4 no. bridge, burns down furniture warehouse

A major fire erupted on Friday afternoon at a sofa manufacturing unit and its warehouse in the densely populated Topsia area of Kolkata. The incident took place near the prominent 4 Number Bridge, causing widespread panic among local residents. The flames originated within the factory and quickly spiraled out of control, fueled by the vast quantity of highly flammable materials like foam, wood, and fabric stored on the premises.

The intensity of the heat and smoke was so severe that the fire soon jumped to an adjacent building, threatening a larger residential and commercial block. Thick columns of black smoke could be seen from several kilometers away, covering the city skyline. Initially, five fire tenders were dispatched to the location, but as the situation escalated, additional units were rushed in to prevent the blaze from spreading further into the narrow lanes of the neighborhood.

Local residents expressed significant anger, alleging that the fire brigade arrived late, which allowed the fire to consume the adjacent warehouse and building. They claimed that an earlier intervention could have localized the damage. Despite the scale of the destruction and the rapid spread of the flames, no casualties or injuries have been reported so far.

Firefighters are currently engaged in a massive cooling operation to ensure that hidden pockets of fire do not reignite. Preliminary investigations suggest that the lack of adequate fire safety measures and the presence of combustible chemicals contributed to the rapid engulfment. Police have cordoned off the Bridge 4 area to facilitate the movement of emergency vehicles.