Flower Market devastated by fire ...Contd.

On the second day after the fire, that is 13th April 2008.

The administrative body of the market has taken a decision the day before to clear up the debris from the site by the following night. Hence by next morning space has been made for the vendors to start operation as much as possible so that loss is minimum.

Vendors started business on the cleared up site. The next day, that is 14th April, was the Bengali New Year and hence a boom in sale was expected.

A boy scavenging in the heap of debris still remaining to be cleared up from the site.

The camp of the labourers in the market who worked on the previous night to clear up the site from debris. Much were yet to be done.

Vendors set up temporary shelters with bamboos, the wooden pillers which are not completely burnt and plastic sheets.

Lots of scrap iron sheets, rods, welded frames , etc. had been produced due to the accident. Scrap metal vendors flocked to the place for their share.

The fire had taken away all colours from the market and turned it into black ashes. On the second day of the accident the market was struggling desperately to regain its usual colour.
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Flower Market devastated by fire ...Contd.

12th April 2008: The next day

The burnt portion of the flower market from a rooftop.

The flower vendors sitting idly inside a burnt out structure.

Flowers to be sold and water pots before a burnt shop.

A burnt out shop in the market. Police forces had been deployed for security reasons.

It was suspected that the fire was caused by LPG cylinder burst.

A burnt out temple in the market.

A burnt earthen flower vase in the debris.

Vendors stocked flowers in the market expecting boom in sale due to the imminent Bengali New Year. They met with huge loss after the accident.

The opposition parties organized a political rally in the market demanding proper investigation of the incident. They were the strong believers of the conspiracy theory.

Curious passersby having a glance at the site of devastation.

The horticulture minister, the chairperson of the administrative body of the flower market and other administrative heads discussing the future course of action. It was decided that the site will be cleared up working whole night, so that from next day morning business activities could be resumed at least partially. Some sort of temporary structures would be erected later for the shops.

Question-answer session with the journalists from different media houses.

Business was in full swing at the unburnt portion of the flower market.

In a temple a few pace away from the burnt site people were engaged in their daily worship.

An old lady taking rest in the afternoon was probably on her daily routine as usual.

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Flower Market devastated by fire

On Friday night, the one before this last Friday, a devastating fire broke out in the Flower Market near Mullick Ghat. Although the fire could be controlled before dawn broke, but it had already turned the major portion of the market into ashes. Bursting of LPG cylinders was declared to be the cause of the accident. However some people there were sniffing a conspiracy, as there was an order from the authority asking the flower vendors to move to somewhere else which the vendors didn't abide by since it was a booming business season in the Flower Market as Bengali New Year was approaching. The Government is planning to develop the Flower Market as an international bidding centre for flowers and flower products.

I took photographs of the Flower Market in the morning just after the accident and on the days following that, to document life there as the market struggled to resume its normal business as soon as possible and to minimize the loss.

Published photographs:

On the next day - 12th April 2008


On the second day of the fire - 13th April 2008

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