2006 Kolkata leather factory fire

The 2006 Kolkata leather factory fire was a deadly industrial fire that occurred in West Bengal, India, on November 22, 2006. A lightning rod for criticism of poor safety standards among the country's "sweat shops", the fire broke out in a leather bag factory located in the Tannix International, Topsia, in the South 24 Paragana district of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).

The industrial fire claimed the lives of at least 10 people, who were unable to escape because the illegal factory's doors were locked shut. Authorities, in response to local residents' angry criticism, admitted that the emergency response to the accident was substandard. Two separate investigations were launched. One inquiry focused on the fire itself, while the other sought to ascertain criminal responsibility for the disaster as well as the operation of the illegal factory. The results of both are either pending or have yet to be released to the general public.ref|results

Background

Investigators confirmed that the site of the fire had been used as an illegal leather bag factory.cite news |title=Nine Die, 18 Injured in Kolkata Factory Fire - Irna |url=http://www.irna.com/en/news/view/line-20/0611229711182210.htm |work=Islamic Republic News Agency |date=2006-11-22 |accessdate=2006-12-17 ] The factory was located on the third floor of a four-story buildingcite news |title=Fire in Kolkata factory, 9 dead |url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/fire-in-kolkata-factory-9-feared-dead/26734-3.html |work=CNN-IBN |date=2006-11-22 |accessdate=2006-12-17 ] that also featured residential units.cite news |title=Fire in Kolkata leather factory kills 9 people. |url=http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=77400 |work=ExpressIndia.com |date=2006-11-22 |accessdate=2006-12-17 ] Investigators determined that the first and second floors of the structure housed additional illegal factories. The factory destroyed in the fire was found to be owned and operated by Tenex Exports.cite news |title=Locked in to be burnt to death - Nine killed in illegal factory in illegal house |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061123/asp/frontpage/story_7038977.asp |work=Calcutta Telegraph |date=2006-11-23 |accessdate=2006-12-17 ] Apparently, all of the people who were killed or injured in the fire slept in the factory at night, a situation that is not considered unusual in India.cite news |title=Nine dead in Kolkata factory fire |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1849750,000600010003.htm |work=HindustanTimes.com |date=2006-11-22 |accessdate=2006-12-17 ] As noted earlier, the building was located in the Tannix International, Topsia, in the South 24 Paragana district of Kolkata. The building had just one emergency exit, and 40 workers were housed in the structure at the time of the fire. The owner locked the factory at night to prevent workers from running away with leather goods.

Event and emergency response

The fire broke out in the factory at around 2:30 IST, as workers slept nearby. Once they became aware of the blaze, the desperate workers found they were unable to break through the factory's locked doors. Five fire tenders were sent to the scene of the fire. By the time they arrived, local residents had broken down two locked gates and rescued the surviving workers. Rescue efforts were delayed, however, when an individual carrying keys to open the door nervously dropped them while attempting to open the gate At least 10 people were dead by the time rescuers reached the factory's interior.,cite news |title=The men who died young |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061124/asp/calcutta/story_7043750.asp |work=Calcutta Telegraph |date=2006-11-24 |accessdate=2006-12-19 ] with a further eighteen injured. The injured survivors, many suffering from burns over 70 percent of their bodies, were taken to the National Medical College and Hospital, where victims had to be left on the floor due to a shortage of beds. The hospital did not have a burns unit, so the only treatments available at the hospital were ointments and saline drips. The patients were eventually moved to other hospitals. Local MLA Javed Khan later said that the death toll is actually at least twelve, but there has been no official confirmation of this. The Rapid Action Force was also deployed to maintain calm.

Criticisms of the emergency response

People living in the vicinity of the illegal factory said that the number of deaths might have been reduced had the fire service responded promptly. They claimed that the fire brigade failed to send personnel or equipment to the scene until more than an hour after the brigade first received word of the fire. Residents also claimed that it was only after the police arrived and requested fire service backup that any help was sent. In addition, some on the scene reported an inadequate number of ambulances.cite news |title=12 charred to death in factory fire |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20061123/nation.htm#9 |work=The India Tribune |date=2006-11-22 |accessdate=2006-12-19 ] The city's mayor admitted to this lapse the following morning. Complaints were not limited to the fire brigade's late response, however. Local people also complained that the victims should never have been taken to the Calcutta National Medical College. Rather, they should have been transported directly to hospitals with burns units, residents said.cite news |title=Locked-in workers charred in Topsia |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/Cities/Kolkata/Locked-in_workers_charred_in_Topsia/articleshow/533998.cms |work=The Times of India |date=2006-11-23 |accessdate=2006-12-19 ]

Investigations

Accident investigation

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire as well as the reason the building had been locked from the outside.cite news |title=9 dead in Kolkata factory fire |url=http://www.centralchronicle.com/20061123/2311146.htm |work=Central Chronical |date=2006-11-22 |accessdate=2006-12-17 ] To this end, the building was inspected by the KMC, upon which it was scheduled to be demolished on Thursday, November 23. Yet, the structure is standing to this date. Although no actual cause of the fire was established, it has been noted that large quantities of inflammable materials, such as adhesives, were stored inside the building. It was also revealed that the factory experienced a similar fire two years previously, but there were no fatalities on that occasion.cite news |title=Locked-in workers battle death by fire |url=http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=210476 |work=Express India |date=2006-11-23 |accessdate=2006-12-19 ]

Criminal investigation

As noted earlier, a separate criminal investigation has focused on the illegal factory itself. Almost all factories and homes in the area were illegal and unauthorised,cite news |title=Factory Fire in Kolkata Causes 9 Deaths |url=http://mobile.indiadaily.org/entry/factory-fire-in-kolkata-causes-9-deaths/ |work=India Daily |accessdate=2006-12-19 ] and did not follow building codes and sanctions. Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said action would be taken against the owners of the factory and house, and Superintendent of Police of South 24 Parganas S.N. Gupta said that the owners of the building would be arrested.cite news |title=Leather factory fire kills nine |url=http://www.indiaenews.com/india/20061122/29648.htm |work=India eNews |date=2006-11-22 |accessdate=2006-12-19 ] Investigation has shown that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) issued notices to the building on three separate occasions, in 1988, 1989, and 1992. Yet, it took no further action. It has been shown, however, that the KMC approved trade licences for two businesses to operate from the building. The owner of the building, Khurshid Alam, has had a police complaint filed against him by the fire department for illegal construction charges. Mohammed Sagir Ahmed and Mohammed Asif, the owners of Tenex Exports, also face related charges. Both investigations are ongoing.

Notes

# Although this is technically impossible to "prove", it may be taken as true due to a lack of results stating otherwise based on a wide range of Google searches.

References