Kolkata: West Bengal minister Kaushik Chowdhury on Thursday, June 11, said that around 4,000 EVMs were gutted in a government building fire here, as the police launched an investigation following the registration of an FIR in connection with the incident.
A massive fire broke out on Wednesday at the nine-storey building in south Kolkata’s Alipore area. The building also housed the South 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad office, apart from other departments.
“Around 4,000 EVMs were destroyed in the fire. Those EVMs were used in 10 constituencies during this year’s assembly elections in the state,” the minister of state for fire and emergency services said.
After visiting the site, Chowdhury said, “It does not appear to be a normal fire. We are examining whether there was any sabotage. It is still not clear how the fire reached the ninth and tenth floors.”
He said the blaze was first noticed on the second and third floors of the building.
“How did it reach the seventh and eighth floors without affecting the fourth, fifth and sixth floors? The entire matter is under investigation,” the minister told reporters.
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Chowdhury said he was waiting for the forensic report to get a better idea of the incident.
Meanwhile, the blaze kept fire services personnel engaged nearly 24 hours after it broke out.
Though no flames were visible on Thursday morning, officials said the possibility of pocket fires could not be ruled out.
“There are pocket fires inside the building, and they need to be doused. The cooling process is on,” the fire department official said.
Meanwhile, the South 24 Parganas administration lodged a written complaint with Alipore police station seeking a probe into the incident. The complaint was filed by the district’s Additional District Magistrate (ADM), following which the police registered an FIR and began an investigation.
Investigators are examining whether an electrical fault or any other factor caused the fire. Officials said no specific cause has been established so far.
The building has been secured and access restricted as investigators focus on the pattern in which the fire spread across multiple floors. Police have also increased surveillance around the premises.
Forensic experts are expected to inspect the site and collect samples to determine the source of the blaze. Officials said forensic findings would be crucial in establishing whether the fire was accidental or the result of any deliberate act.
The incident has also sparked political reactions. Union minister Sukanta Majumdar said the possibility of sabotage should not be dismissed, while BJP leader Rakesh Singh alleged that the fire was a planned act. No evidence supporting such claims has so far been made public.
Investigating officers, however, said conclusions would be drawn only based on forensic examination and scientific evidence. Authorities are also assessing the extent of damage to government records, infrastructure and security systems housed in the building.
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