Overview

• A blaze broke out around 2 a.m. at Khidirpur’s Orphangunge Market and was brought under control by 6 a.m. with over 20 fire tenders, with no casualties reported.
• Traders estimated losses at several crores of rupees and blamed the late arrival and low water supply of fire engines for widespread shop destruction.
• The relief package provides ₹1 lakh for shops gutted completely and ₹50,000 for those partially damaged, along with temporary relocation support until a new market is constructed.
• Officials launched a forensic investigation to confirm whether a short circuit triggered the fire and to probe longstanding fire safety lapses at the century-old market.
• Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari accused authorities of deliberate sabotage aimed at facilitating a land grab, intensifying political scrutiny of the government’s fire safety record.