Man dies in Salt Lake fire; Wife and daughter escape amid delayed firefighting response

A tragic fire broke out on Monday night in a residential house located in the DA 4 block of Salt Lake, Kolkata, resulting in the death of 47-year-old businessman Deborshi Gangopadhyay. The fire quickly spread, and Gangopadhyay was unable to escape, suffering fatal burns. His wife and five-year-old daughter were also inside the house at the time of the fire but managed to escape unharmed. At the time of the incident, the wife was feeding their daughter in the dining room.

Initial investigations suggest that the fire was caused by smoking. Deborshi Gangopadhyay was reportedly drinking alcohol and smoking in the third-floor room where the fire began. Local residents have stated that the relationship between the couple was troubled, and the husband was in poor health and often intoxicated, which may have prevented him from escaping the fire. However, this has not been confirmed by authorities.

The fire department responded to the scene with three fire engines, and the flames were brought under control. Upon arrival, firefighters found cigarette butts scattered around the third-floor room where Gangopadhyay was found. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, and authorities are conducting forensic analysis to gather more details. The body of the deceased has already been sent for postmortem.

The fire also affected neighboring houses, including that of Dr. Sukumar Mukherjee. At the time of the fire, Dr. Mukherjee was holding a chamber in his residence, and Gangopadhyay’s wife rushed there to seek help. Despite the quick response of residents, the fire department arrived late. According to family members, the fire department was delayed by approximately 30 minutes due to an address confusion.

The fire was initially reported as occurring in the BA block, while the actual location was DA 4 block, resulting in the delay. Fire Minister Sujit Bose visited the site and confirmed that the incident would undergo a forensic examination. The authorities are working to determine the exact cause of the fire and to investigate the circumstances surrounding the delayed response from the fire department.