One injured, several shanties damaged in fire in south Kolkata

Kolkata: A youth was injured and a few shanties near Anwar Shah Road in the southern part of the city were gutted in a fire that broke out on Monday, police said.

The fire broke out in a shanty when a battery exploded while being charged, they said, adding that a gas cylinder kept there soon caught fire and exploded.

“The fire soon spread to the adjoining shanties. We rescued one youth who was sent to the MR Bangur Hospital. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. However, preliminary findings stated that it spread after a battery exploded and then the fire spread to the gas cylinder,” an officer told PTI.

The youth identified as Rana Naskar (22) was shifted to the SSKM Hospital, he said.

One fire tender took an hour to douse the blaze in which at least seven shanties were damaged, he added.