Just hours after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee toured the central business district of Kolkata, a massive fire broke out in the heart of the city, gutting parts of a commercial building at the busy Mechhua junction near Park Street. The blaze, which engulfed portions of the Park Street business complex, has reignited serious concerns about urban fire preparedness, building safety, and the state of regulation enforcement in Kolkata’s high-density zones.

Timeline of the Incident

The fire was first reported at around 3:15 PM on Thursday afternoon, when plumes of smoke were seen billowing from the upper floors of the Park Centre—a mixed-use building known for housing offices, restaurants, and retail outlets. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as flames spread rapidly through one section of the building, prompting emergency evacuations.

The Kolkata Fire and Emergency Services responded with 10 fire tenders, and it took nearly four hours to bring the blaze under control. Fire officials confirmed that no casualties were reported, though several employees sustained minor injuries during the evacuation.

Trigger and Spread

Preliminary reports suggest that the fire originated in the kitchen area of a closed rooftop restaurant that had recently undergone partial renovation. A short circuit is suspected, though a forensic investigation is still underway to determine the exact cause.

Fire officers on the scene reported that flammable material stored improperly on the terrace may have accelerated the fire. “The lack of an automatic sprinkler system and blocked fire exits made things worse,” said a senior fire official.

Chief Minister’s Visit and Aftermath

The irony of the timing has not been lost on the public or the media. Just 24 hours prior to the incident, CM Banerjee had made a scheduled visit to central Kolkata as part of a civic inspection tour. The visit included nearby commercial landmarks, where she had stressed the importance of infrastructure improvement and civic discipline.

That such a major fire occurred in the immediate aftermath of her visit has raised eyebrows, with critics questioning whether cosmetic civic measures are being prioritized over real safety reforms.

Regulatory Oversight Under Scrutiny

The building in question is a well-known commercial complex, but officials now confirm that recent construction and renovations were carried out without proper approval from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). The new owner, who took over two months ago, had reportedly not submitted updated fire safety compliance documentation—a requirement for operation.

This lapse has once again exposed the systemic negligence and poor coordination between civic bodies and building owners. “This isn’t a one-off case. Hundreds of commercial buildings in the city are operating without updated fire safety certifications,” said environmental activist and urban planner Ramesh Dutta.

A Pattern of Neglect

Fires in Kolkata’s commercial buildings are becoming distressingly frequent. Just in the last year, several fires—including the fatal Bagree Market blaze—have been attributed to outdated electrical wiring, blocked exits, and inadequate firefighting infrastructure.

Many of these buildings are decades old and have undergone modifications without adherence to safety standards. According to a report by the State Urban Development Authority, nearly 40% of the commercial buildings in the central business area either lack fire licenses or have expired safety clearances.

Voices from the Ground

Business owners affected by the blaze expressed anger and helplessness. “This was completely preventable,” said Sandeep Sharma, owner of a garments showroom on the second floor. “Our unit is now closed indefinitely. We followed the rules, but our neighbours didn’t—and now we’re all suffering.”

Employees who were in the building at the time of the fire described harrowing scenes. “There were no alarms, no announcements. We had to run down the stairs through smoke. One colleague fainted,” said Megha Roy, an office worker on the fourth floor.

Government Response

Fire Minister Sujit Bose visited the site later in the evening and promised a full probe into the incident. “We will hold accountable those who were negligent. The fire services department has been instructed to conduct audits of all major commercial buildings in this area within the next 30 days,” he said.

The KMC has also announced a task force to investigate illegal renovations and fire safety violations across the city, particularly in high-traffic zones like Esplanade, Sealdah, and Park Street.

Expert Opinions: Prevention, Not Reaction

Urban safety experts emphasize that Kolkata needs a preventive—not reactive—approach. “We keep responding to disasters instead of preparing for them,” said Ananya Sengupta, a disaster management specialist. “Installing smoke detectors, training building staff, ensuring accessible exits—these are simple measures that are still missing from too many structures.”

She also stressed the need for regular public drills and strict penalties for violators of the fire safety code. “Without consequences, owners will continue to prioritize profit over people’s lives.”

A Wake-Up Call?

The Park Street fire may have caused no fatalities, but the financial and emotional toll is enormous. Several businesses now face days, if not weeks, of downtime, and residents in adjacent buildings remain concerned about their own vulnerability.

For a city that continues to expand vertically and economically, such incidents serve as grim reminders of the cost of regulatory neglect. Whether the government’s promised investigations and reforms will translate into lasting change remains to be seen.

In the words of one fire officer, “We got lucky today. But luck is not a policy.”