A goods vehicle carrying cigarette lighters that was parked in a lot outside the FCI godown on Hyde Road caught fire on Thursday evening.
The fire spread to several vehicles parked nearby and caused multiple explosions in the port area.
Fourteen fire tenders were pressed into action to douse the blaze. Police said no one was trapped or injured.
People in the Garden Reach area first spotted the fire at 3.35pm and alerted the fire brigade.
“There was a lot of smoke, and there were multiple explosions, one after another. We found that the fire started in a goods vehicle carrying cartons of cigarette lighters. Prima facie, it appeared that one of the cartons exploded, triggering the blaze, which then spread across the truck and nearby vehicles,” said
an officer of West Port police station, under whose jurisdiction the incident was reported.
The police said “luckily, no one was near the truck when the first explosion
occurred”.
“No one was trapped in the fire or reported injured in the explosions. The fire also spread to containers carrying fuel. It could have been disastrous had the fire not been contained,” the officer added.
The cooling process began after the fire was extinguished on Thursday evening.
The exact cause of the fire can be determined only after the forensic team shares its findings.
At least a dozen goods vehicles were gutted in the fire. A large quantity of cigarette lighters was found strewn across the ground after the fire was extinguished.
The police said they have yet to estimate the losses incurred by the owners of the affected containers.
Building fire
A fire broke out in a top-floor room of a six-storey building that houses an eye foundation on Manohar Pukur Road on Wednesday evening.
One fire tender extinguished the blaze in 40 minutes. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Police are yet to ascertain cause of fire and the extent of damage.