2006 Kolkata Leather Factory Fire - Event and Emergency Response

Event and Emergency Response

The fire broke out in the factory at around 2:30 IST, as workers slept. Once they became aware of the blaze, the employees found they were unable to break through the factory's locked doors. Five fire tenders were sent to the scene, but by the time they arrived, local residents had broken down two locked gates and already rescued the surviving workers. These impromptu Rescue efforts were delayed however, when an individual carrying keys to open the door nervously dropped them while attempting to open the gate. At least 10 people were dead by the time rescuers reached the factory's interior, with a further eighteen injured. The survivors, many suffering from burns over 70 percent of their bodies, were taken to the National Medical College and Hospital, where victims had to be left on the floor due to a shortage of beds. The hospital did not have a burns unit, and the only treatments available at the hospital were ointments and saline drips. The patients were eventually moved to other hospitals. Local MLA Javed Khan later said that the death toll is actually at least twelve, but there has been no official confirmation of this. The Rapid Action Force was also deployed to maintain calm.