A sudden burst of smoke at Kolkata’s busy Esplanade Metro station sent office-goers and daily commuters into panic mode on Monday afternoon.

The incident occurred around 3.30pm, causing alarm among passengers on the down line platform.

According to reports in the news portals, commuters first spotted smoke from beneath an escalator connecting the platform to the concourse area.

The smoke spread across the station premises, creating a haze that left many passengers panic stricken.

While initial fears pointed to a possible fire outbreak, Metro officials clarified that the situation was brought under control by the in-house firefighting team.

Officials located an electrical room beneath the escalator as the source of the smoke. Preliminary investigations suggest a short circuit may have triggered the incident.

The Esplanade station, which falls on the Blue Line, is one of Kolkata’s busiest transit points, especially during office hours.

The presence of fire brigade personnel and Railway Police on alert only added to the panic, with many passengers unaware of what had transpired.

Although normalcy returned soon, the episode has raised concerns over electrical safety in the city’s vital transport infrastructure.