A fire ripped through a slum settlement in eastern Kolkata’s Nonadanga area on Wednesday evening, leaving several families without shelter, officials said. Within minutes, thick black smoke rose over the locality as flames spread rapidly through closely packed shanties, gutting many of them. Some locals claimed that multiple LPG cylinders exploded, triggering the rapid movement of flames across the slum, a policeman said. Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, Manoj Kumar Verma said, "The fire affected several huts and makeshift homes in the settlement. The local fire team, police, disaster management authorities, and the Kolkata Police emergency response team immediately rushed to the spot."

Source: The Telegraph January 07, 2026 17:39 UTC