Kolkata: Man electrocuted to death after fire breaks out at shop – The Indian Express

Kolkata News

Unable to put out a fire that broke out in his eatery, the 35-year-old shop owner in a bid to prevent the flames from spreading, tried to pull down the iron shutter of his shop and was “electrocuted to death” in Kolkata’s Tangra area on Tuesday.

The victim’s family and locals alleged that a live naked wire of an adjoining lamppost was exposed to the iron shutter of the shop which led to his death.

According to police, around 9 am on Tuesday, the victim — Bunty Haldar, alias, Pacha (35) — was about to begin cooking in his small eatery at Gobindo Khatik Road in Tangra when a cooking cylinder went off and a fire broke out. Bunty and his friends tried to put out the fire using water but failing which, Bunty tried to pull down the shutter and got electrocuted, said police. He was rushed to NRS Hospital, where doctors proclaimed him dead upon arrival.

It was the third electrocution death in Kolkata in the past two weeks and the fifth in the state.

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“This government isn’t capable of making a policy. Whether it’s the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC), or any municipality or corporation, the kind of safety-related policies we need today are missing. Common people are facing the consequences of a bad administration and again a life has been lost,” said BJP’s state unit president Sukanta Majumdar.

“Instead of blaming each other, every agency should take responsibility. One can spot bunches of overhead wires as we walk through the streets in Topsia, Tangra, Garden Reach, etc. Anyone may come in contact with these naked live wires or may accidentally touch them. It is the right time to implement smart meters everywhere and ensure proper maintenance,” said former mayor Shovan Chatterjee.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/kolkata-man-electrocuted-to-death-fire-8011285/