Kolkata (The Hawk): A tragic fire has destroyed Kolkata's famed Bhawanipur Swimming Club, which has historically produced many great swimmers for West Bengal and counts Bengali matinee idol Uttam Kumar among its previous members.
It started burning late on Saturday night. According to reports, the destructive fire has ruined equipment valued in lakhs of rupees. There haven't been any reports of casualties, though, as of yet.
A little after 11 p.m., according to witnesses, the first fire spark was seen. However, the fire quickly spread due to the high wind that blew last night.
However, by the time seven fire trucks arrived, practically the whole club's grounds were on fire. The workers who used to spend the night there were able to flee, and several were taken to safety. Later, three other fire fighters joined, bringing the total to 10.
Early on Sunday morning, after nearly five hours of intense firefighting, the fire was put out. Late on Saturday night, Sujit Basu, the state's minister of fire services, hurried to the scene to oversee the fire extinguishing procedure. Arup Biswas, the state's minister of energy, later joined him, and the two remained there until the fire was completely put out.
It was discovered that the club premises contained a number of tiny cabins and locker rooms with tin-shades as a result of which the inside were warm even during the cold nights.
Initial research has shown that a short-circuit in the electrical wiring of the club's gymnasium was the cause of the fire.
Sujit Basu, the state's minister of fire services, stated that a thorough investigation will be conducted in order to determine the precise cause of the incident. The fire had not reached nearby homes and businesses, which was a good thing, he continued.
(Inputs from Agencies)