Kolkata, Sep 9: West Bengal fire officials on Wednesday inspected several shopping malls in Kolkata and its fringes as part of a special fire-safety drive ahead of Durga Puja, when large crowds are expected to throng commercial establishments.
Officials visited renowned malls such as South City Mall, Mani Square and Westside Mall and carried out detailed audits of their fire-safety preparedness, an official said.
Similar inspections were also conducted at several malls on the fringes of the city, including in Madhyamgram, as part of the drive.
“With the Durga Puja festival approaching, there will be a congregation of people at malls and other commercial establishments. We have undertaken a special drive to inspect their preparedness and fire-safety arrangements,” a fire department official said.
During the inspections, officials checked fire extinguishers and other firefighting equipment, public address systems, including whether they were functional and within their validity period.
The inspections focused particularly on food courts and bars inside the malls. Officials also examined the approved building plans and checked whether emergency exits and evacuation routes were adequate and accessible in case of a fire or other emergency.
The inspections come amid heightened scrutiny of fire-safety compliance following recent major fire incidents at hotels in Kolkata and Tarapith.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the fire department have also initiated action against guesthouses found lacking adequate fire-safety measures.
Temporary closure notices were served on 919 hotels and guest houses in Kolkata for failing to comply with mandatory fire safety norms.
The notices were issued after joint inspections by the state fire services department, the KMC and Kolkata Police, with only 41 of the 960 establishments inspected so far found to be compliant with the required fire safety measures, they said.
The inspection drive was intensified following the fire at Shikha Inn, a guest house on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata, in the early hours of August 19. Nine people, including seven Bangladeshi nationals, were killed in the blaze. (PTI)
