Kolkata: Railway Minister Piyush Goyal set up Tuesday a high-level committee to ascertain the cause of the fire at the sprawling building that houses Eastern and South Eastern Railways offices. In a separate development the Eastern Railway authorities said Tuesday that it extended full cooperation to the fire brigade and police in fighting a devastating blaze at its New Koilaghat Building in Kolkata where nine people died. They contradicted West Minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegations that the administration did not get any support from the Railways officials. She had alleged that the Railways had failed to provide a map of the building to the fire brigade.
Senior officials, including the Eastern Railway general manager, were present during the firefighting operation at the building Monday evening, a railway spokesperson said.
“Full cooperation was extended, railway officials guided the fire brigade to reach the spot,” the Eastern Railway spokesperson said. Senior officials as well as lower-level employees were present and assisted the firefighters, he added.
Goyal also said that officials were present at the site of the fire disaster. “Railway officials including the GM are at the site and are working in coordination with the state government for rescue and relief efforts,” Goyal said in a tweet late last night
Nine persons, including four firefighters and three railway personnel, died in the blaze, police said.
It should be stated here that Banerjee has announced Rs 10 lakh compensation and a government job for one person for each of the families of the deceased. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2,00,000 for the kin of those deceased.
Meanwhile firefighting personnel said Tuesday that the fire has been doused completely. However, rescue and salvage operations were still on.