In West Bengal, over a thousand shops were reportedly destroyed in a massive fire last night in Kolkata’s Khidirpur market area. The fire broke out around 2 in the early morning. More than 20 fire tenders brought the blaze under control. According to the fire department, various shops, including rice godowns, have been destroyed. West Bengal Minister of Fire and Emergency Services, Sujit Basu, visited the spot and assured all necessary help. Local residents alleged that the delay in the arrival of the fire tenders increased the severity of the fire.