A thick blanket of smoke engulfed Khardah’s Ishwaripur area on Tuesday morning after a massive fire broke out at a paint manufacturing unit, triggering panic among residents and nearby factory workers.

The inferno, fuelled by large quantities of chemicals and inflammable materials, quickly spread through the premises, making it extremely difficult for the fire brigade to bring the situation under control. According to sources, the blaze started suddenly around 6 a.m. at the paint factory and spread rapidly. Five fire tenders were initially pressed into service, but the intensity of the flames forced officials to deploy additional units. By 8 a.m, nearly 20 engines were engaged in battling the fire. Senior officials from the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate and the fire services departme

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