A late-night fire in a food stall in a crowded lane adjoining Sealdah station on Thursday left a section of shop owners and flower traders in panic and fire tenders trying to contain it from the Sealdah flyover.

The fire broke out in a roadside food stall behind Sulabh Complex of the Sealdah railway station at around 10.50pm, police said.

Located beneath the Sealdah flyover adjoining the railway station, the stall went up in flames when some of the staff were cooking, bystanders told police.

Dotted with several fruit stalls, small eateries and flower shops, the lane was crowded with traders downing shutters. A section of daily commuters were headed to the Sealdah station’s main complex to take suburban trains. Some stall owners helped rescue those inside the food stall before calling fire department officials and the police.

“The area was immediately cordoned off and daily passengers headed for the railway station were asked to take the other flank beneath the flyover to reach Sealdah station,” said a senior officer of Muchipara police station.

“Before firefighting began we ensured that no one was trapped in the rows of shops beneath the Sealdah flyover,” the officer said.

On their way, the firefighters stopped on the Sealdah flyover and began spraying water with hosepipes from a distance, avoiding the mess beneath. Officials mounted ladders and scaled down the flyover to reach the seat of the fire while others sprayed water from jets from the flyover.

Traders who had set up temporary stalls adjoining the Sealdah station to sell fruits and flowers picked up their wares and ran down the narrow lane as firefighters struggled to bring the fire under control.

With thick fumes filling the area, some shop owners joined the fire department officials in the fight. Others helped the police to restrict commuter movement in the area.

“Eight fire tenders managed to bring the fire under control early on Friday. No one was injured. The fire site will remain cordoned off for the next few days for investigation,” the officer said.

A month back, a fire broke out in a fast food shop at the food court of the Sealdah station and traffic had to be diverted temporarily to facilitate firefighting in a crowded place. Four fire tenders had brought the fire under control within an hour.