Kanpur market fire contained after 90 hrs; 800 shops gutted, loss pegged at ₹3k cr

It took more than 500 firemen from different districts, two teams each of NDRF and SDRF, and teams from the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force to douse the flames

KANPUR City’s biggest hosiery market in Bansmandi has been reduced to ashes as the fire that raged on for almost 90 hours charred more than 800 shops. It took more than 500 firemen from different districts, two teams each of NDRF and SDRF, and teams from the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force to douse the flames

A sum of ₹1 crore was used in this firefighting operation. (PTI File)

The fire was controlled after the NDRF began cutting the shutters of the shops open. This allowed the firemen to spray water inside. According to Balram Narula, the president of the hosiery merchants association, traders in seven complexes suffered a loss of ₹3,000 crore due to the fire incident. He added that it would take them at least a decade to recover from this financial blow.

BP Jogdand, commissioner of police, Kanpur, and district magistrate Vishakh G Iyer said that the assessment of structural damage has begun. A team of experts from the NDRF, Public Works Department, Kanpur Development Authority, Kanpur Municipal Corporation, and Uttar Pradesh fire department went inside the complexes for the assessment. Besides, a team from the civil engineering department of IIT Kanpur also visited the structures late on Monday evening.

“We are taking in all the inputs and will decide accordingly about these structures,” said Jogdand. However, it has been decided a batch of four traders would be allowed to go into seven complexes with NDRF and retrieve all the goods (if any) in good condition.

The traders, on the other hand, met officials and sought government intervention in the payment of installments against bank loans. “We have demanded the rescheduling of the payments as more than 2,000 people have lost everything,” said Narula.

A sum of ₹1 crore was used in this firefighting operation. The fire also claimed the life of one person, believed to be missing worker Gyan Chand. Meanwhile, as a safety measure, police have cleared many timber godowns in the proximity. This arrangement would continue until further decision is taken.