Canning Street: The blaze at Bagree Market has snuffed out many businesses at the start of what is usually the most favourable period of the year for them.
The building, a wholesale hub for costume jewellery, garments, toys and plastic goods, houses scores of shops that had stocked up ahead of the festive season starting in less than a month.
Footfall at the six-storey market had been rising since the beginning of September and sales were projected to peak over the next couple of weeks leading to Durga Puja. "The fire could not have happened at a worse time for us. The extent of the damage has yet to be ascertained but we estimate that goods worth Rs 200 crore have been lost," a member of the Bagree Market Tenants' Association said.
Nearly 50 per cent of shops were possibly gutted or affected in some measure in the fire that started early on Sunday and raged till late at night. "As things stand, the assumption is that 50 per cent of the shops inside have not been touched by the fire. We cannot be certain about that unless we can enter the market," the association member said.
Retailers account for the bulk of the purchases from Bagree Market and their footfall almost doubles on the eve of Puja. Businesses had just started to benefit from the seasonal boom when the fire wrought devastation.
Mohammad Qasim, a wholesaler of costume jewellery, said he lost nearly Rs 10 crore worth of items. Abdul Qadir, a relative and a partner in the business, appeared inconsolable. "Over the past one week, I had been working till 11-11.30pm because we had customers coming in even at late hours. We are wholesalers and our product range is focused on the festive season," he said.
Traders whose shops have possibly not been affected by the fire stand to lose in terms of business because Bagree Market is unlikely to be cleared for reopening anytime soon. Till late on Sunday, the fire hadn't been entirely put out.
Mohammad-ur-Rehman, also a costume jewellery trader, had procured an extra Rs 10 lakh worth of goods. He lost all of it in the fire.
Rehman's shop is on the ground floor of the market's C Block.
Rehan Ahmed, who owns four shops along with his siblings, suffered a financial loss of nearly Rs 20 lakh. "Each of our shops usually stock Rs 2 lakh worth of jewellery. With Puja round the corner, we had scaled our inventory to nearly Rs 5 lakh," he said.
Several traders whose shops are in portions of the market untouched by the flames risked their lives to enter the building and bring out whatever they could. Many were spotted carrying sacks filled with retrieved goods.
Kirti Kothari, who sells luggage, was lucky not to lose everything. But he remains worried about missing out on the peak period of his business. "I don't know when the market will reopen and I can resume business," he said.
Police and fire services officials were just as unsure about the fate of Bagree Market. "Forensic experts will visit the market once we are sure the fire has been doused completely. Engineers from the Calcutta Municipal Corporation will also inspect the building to gauge the extent of damage. The market will remain closed for now. When it will become operational cannot be said right now," Jag Mohan, the director general of fire services, said.
