A minor fire broke out at the check-in area of Kolkata airport on Tuesday evening, forcing the authorities to evacuate all passengers. The fire was reported at around 9:12 pm in portal D of the check-in area. Two fire engines were rushed to the spot and the fire was brought under control within 28 minutes.
All passengers were evacuated safely and no injuries were reported. The check-in process was suspended due to the presence of smoke in the area. The airport authorities said that the check-in and operations will resume by 11:15 pm.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. However, it is suspected that a short circuit may have led to the fire. The airport authorities have ordered a probe into the incident.
This is the second fire incident at Kolkata airport in the past two months. In April, a fire broke out in a cargo area of the airport, damaging several aircraft.
The fire at Kolkata airport comes at a time when the airport is handling a record number of passengers. In the first five months of this year, the airport handled over 10 million passengers, a growth of over 20% compared to the same period last year.
The fire has raised concerns about the safety of passengers at Kolkata airport. The airport authorities have been urged to take steps to improve fire safety at the airport.