Nine people lost their lives in a fire which broke out at Eastern Railway headquarters in Kolkata on Monday evening. Prime minister Narendra Modi has expressed his condolence over the loss of lives.
The blaze broke out on the 13th floor of the 14-storey building located on Strand Road. Those who were killed included four firefighting personnel, two railways personnel and a police ASI.
The Prime Minister has also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of the deceased.
Union railway minister Piyush Goyal also expressed his condolence and ordered a high-level inquiry team to ascertain the cause of the fire.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who rushed to the spot in the city’s central business district, announced that the state government will pay an ex- gratia of Rs 10 lakh each and a government job to the kin of each victim.
The New Koila Ghat Building houses railway ticketing offices and is shared by the Eastern Railway and the South Eastern Railway departments. The fire incident has reportedly also affected the online bookings as the main power was switched off.
