Kolkata

A massive blaze erupted at a multi-storey government building in Alipore area of Kolkata on Wednesday morning, fire officials said.

One person trapped on the top floor of the eight-storey building, which serves as the South 24 Parganas district administrative office, was rescued by firefighters.

Ten fire tenders were engaged in the operation to battle the blaze, which was reported around 9.50 am. Although the blaze was largely contained, pockets of fire remained, the officials said.

Fire officials said the blaze originated on the third floor and spread to the fourth floor, while thick smoke billowed from several floors.

Flames and smoke were seen gushing out of windows, and loud thuds were heard from inside the structure during the firefighting operation. Parts of air-conditioners also fell off the building, they said.

Heavy smoke accumulation, caused by the presence of paper and wooden materials inside the offices, hampered firefighting efforts. Fire personnel initially faced difficulties entering the building through the staircase and were using hose pipes to spray water from outside before moving into the structure.

"The concentration of the fire was on the third and fourth floors," a fire official said.

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The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, though officials said a malfunctioning air-conditioner could be one of the possible reasons. The building houses several state government departments.