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Kolkata fire: Nine dead including firefighters, Mamata announces Rs 10 lakh ex gratia

The incident took place at New Koilaghat building on Kolkata's Strand Road. The building housed offices of the Railways.

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At least nine persons were killed in a major fire that broke out on the 13th floor of a multi-storeyed building in Kolkata's Strand Road area on Monday evening.

A Kolkata Police official said that the incident occurred at 6:10 pm. This building has zonal offices of Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway and there is a computerized ticket booking center on the ground floor. So far, nine deaths have been confirmed. Among the dead are 4 firemen, two railway workers and a policeman. According to the information, all of them were going to the floor above the lift, but in the meantime the light went off. Eastern Railway said that the fire was brought under control at 11 o'clock on Monday night.

"It is an unfortunate incident. At least seven people were killed in the blaze, including four fire brigade officers and an ASI of Hare Street police station. Two railways officers were also killed in the fire," West Bengal fire services minister Sujit Bose said.

At least 15 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control.

The incident took place at New Koilaghat building on Kolkata's Strand Road. The building housed offices of the Railways.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the spot around 11 p.m.

Former Kolkata Municipal Corporation mayor and chief administrator Firhad Hakim also reached the spot to take a stock of the situation. The cause of the fire at the New Koilaghat building is yet to be confirmed, police said.

The incident stopped the online booking of tickets in all zones of the Eastern Railway as the building, which caught fire, had a computerised ticket booking centre on its ground floor.

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