Residents, nearby traders bring up safety concerns
Times of India | 19 April 2025
12 Kolkata: When 89-year-old Bhaskar Ghosh, a second-floor resident of Queen's Mansion on Park Street, noticed thick, dark smoke, he instantly knew it was a fire and that it was time to evacuate. "The memories of 15 years ago just flashed through my mind. Stephen Court is just next door, and it is difficult not to remember the tragedy that befell the building," said Ghosh. He was relieved to hear from the cops downstairs that no one was injured in Friday's incident.
Another resident, Sudesna Chowdhury (78), was busy attending to guests at her residence. She came to the main gate to see them off when she noticed the fire. "My guests offered to help. At this advanced age, it was a major help that someone was around," recalled Chowdhury.
The fire at Queen's Mansion created panic, especially among senior citizens residing there, as memories of the massive fire at Stephen Court, which led to 43 deaths, came rushing back. Rupali Vidyabhusan, a first-floor resident, said she was talking to her daughter when the room was engulfed in thick smoke. Though it was not difficult to breathe, the smell of soot was terrifying. "My daughter accompanied me downstairs. We were relieved to see help arrive quickly," said Vidyabhusan.
Swagata Mullick, a law firm employee, said there was a major scare about all important documents getting burnt in the fire. "While no one was injured, we were worried that documents could get damaged. Thankfully, the fire was contained in time," she said.
For the traders of at least six shops whose Good Friday business was hampered, the main concern remained whether such incidents could be stopped in the future.
"Stephen Court has managed to address its fire safety issues. Perhaps this is a reminder that we need to sit together and develop a better response system. LIC must pitch in with their inputs, suggestions, and finance," said the owner of a gym and sports items shop on condition of anonymity.
Both the police and fire brigade said they have received inputs from locals to check whether there was legal sanction for the mezzanine floor. "The mezzanine floor accentuated the fire. Whether everything is being constructed according to law in this heritage structure is our main concern," said an employee of a law firm who evacuated with 11 of her colleagues when the fire broke out.