A devastating pre-dawn fire gutted shops at Baghajatin Bazar in the Bagha Jatin area of South Kolkata on Tuesday, with 15 fire tenders taking nearly three hours to bring the blaze under control, State Fire Services officials said. No casualties were reported.

According to officials cited by IANS, the fire broke out around 4 a.m. in a shop stocked with puja items and spread quickly to neighbouring shops in the congested market. Netaji Nagar Police Station officers reached the spot soon after the alarm, and the number of fire tenders was stepped up as the flames intensified. News18 Bangla and ABP Ananda also reported 15 fire engines at work for about three hours.

The two reports differ on the scale of damage: IANS put the initial estimate at 15 shops gutted, while News18 Bangla reported 45–50 shops reduced to ashes. Officials said the exact loss would be assessed after a thorough investigation.

The cause of the fire has not been established. News18 Bangla said a short circuit is the preliminary suspicion, which fire officials are still examining. The blaze disrupted traffic on Raja S.C. Mullick Road, the arterial link between Garia and Jadavpur.

Traders who rushed to the market in the morning said they had lost their entire stock in the middle of the Durga Puja season.

Sources: IANS, News18 Bangla, ABP Ananda.