123 Kolkata: A fire erupted at Kolkata airport when sparks from welding work ignited a flex in the terminal's arrival area, triggering a mini scare on Wednesday. Prompt action by airport personnel and the airport fire brigade prevented the flames from spreading.
According to airport officials, welding operations were being carried out when the fire occurred at 11.20 am. The work is part of the terminal expansion project that will see the airport's capacity enhanced from 2.6 crore passengers per annum at present to 2.8 crore passengers by the end of the year.
The flames spread to adjacent areas, including a waste disposal section and storage facility. However, prompt action ensured that the fire was doused within seven minutes. Flight schedules remained unaffected. Officials said that although fire services were alerted and a fire engine was dispatched, the airport staff's quick response extinguished the flames, making external intervention unnecessary.
The incident happened shortly after dignitaries from across the country arrived for the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) on Wednesday morning.
The last time a fire was reported in the passenger area at Kolkata airport was in June 2023. Then, the fire in the check-in area had led to chaos and panic among passengers. Check-in services were suspended for nearly 90 minutes on that occasion and eight flights had been cancelled. Airport authorities reported that the fire in 2023 had become severe due to a large amount of paper dumped in the storeroom adjacent to counter number 16 of the D portal.
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