Bengal fire official suspended over lapses in Tiljala factory blaze response

The West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Department has suspended a senior official following a fatal fire at a leather factory in the Tiljala area of Kolkata.

Gautam Das, the station officer-in-charge of the Pragati Maidan Fire Station, was suspended on charges of gross negligence and a lack of supervision during the firefighting operation. The disciplinary action was initiated via a notification from the Director General of Fire and Emergency Services after preliminary findings indicated lapses in the handling of the incident.

A senior fire services official emphasized the department’s stance on the matter:

The department has taken the matter very seriously. Any negligence in emergency response duties will invite strict action.

Senior fire services official

The blaze broke out on the afternoon of May 12, 2026, at a leather factory situated in a densely populated pocket of Tiljala. The fire triggered widespread panic in the locality as there were fears that the flames could spread rapidly to neighboring structures.

Two people died as a result of the fire, and three others are currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.

Investigations into the facility revealed that the factory was operating illegally and did not possess an approved building plan. Following these findings, police arrested the factory owners, Sheikh Nasir and Shamim Mohammad.

Although several fire tenders were deployed to the scene on May 12, officials later identified multiple shortcomings in the firefighting operations, which contributed to the subsequent disciplinary action against Das.

Civic authorities began the demolition of the illegal multi-storeyed structure on May 13, 2026. Demolition work continued through May 14, 2026, supported by a heavy deployment of central forces and the Kolkata Police.