Devastating fire breaks out in Darjeeling market

Darjeeling, 20 April: A devastating fire raged through the main market square of Darjeeling town in West Bengal last night, bringing back memories of the horror of 1971 when the same stretch was razed to the ground.
The fire broke out at around 2.15 am at MP Road today.
Local residents believe that the fire started from a wooden shop, the floor of which gave way and spread rapidly after two LPG cylinders burst in the restaurant on the ground floor of the same building. With the area densely crowded with wooden shops, the fire spread quick and fast.
Local residents; Fire tenders from Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Bijanbari; Green Force of the Dera Saccha Sauda; Army (21 Madras and 11 Gorkha Regiment) together managed to contain the fire by 7am. With acute water scarcity, private water tankers pitched in to help.
“Around 90 shops have been gutted. Though estimates have not been made of the loss, it would be to the tune of above Rs. 2 Crores,” said Saumitra Mohan, District Magistrate, Darjeeling. Most of the schools remained closed today.
“The cause of the fire has not been ascertained. Prima facie it could be from a short circuit,” stated a fire officer. “I remember the fire in 1971. The same stretch had been gutted. I had then helped as a student,” added Sher Bahadur Rai, a retired army personnel.