Fire breaks out at CESC electricity substation in Kolkata

Mar 2020Published 20 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MinorElectrical

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From the recordRoot cause

Where: CESC substation in Patuli area of Baghajatin locality in Kolkata
Operator: Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC)
What: fire broke out at around 5:30pm causing power outage
Response: six fire tenders brought fire under control after some difficulty
Cause: under investigation

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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Calcutta Electric Supply, CESC

What happened

A fire broke out at a Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) substation in the Patuli area of the Baghajatin locality in Kolkata at around 5:30pm. The blaze caused a power outage across the surrounding area. Six fire tenders were deployed and brought the fire under control after some difficulty. Local residents reportedly experienced panic and, amid a lockdown period, some left their homes in the dark before being told by police to stay indoors. Power was reported to still be out in several areas by 7:30pm, with CESC working to restore supply. Police said an investigation would be carried out to determine the cause of the fire.

Contributing factors

Cause of the fire was not stated; police said an investigation would be held to establish it.

Lessons learned

Substation fires can require six or more fire tenders when access or electrical isolation is difficult, so operators should pre-plan tender access routes and isolation points.
Substation fires can leave local power unrestored more than two hours after the blaze starts, so contingency plans must cover extended outages.

More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

Exact cause of the fire
Duration of the full power outage
Extent of damage to substation equipment

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

The Times of India (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

Other entries that name Kolkata

High-voltage flash and fire at Patuli substation in Kolkata EIR-0969 · 2020
Fire at Rabindra Sadan metro substation halts Kolkata services EIR-2549 · 2017

Published 2026-09-20. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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The record behind this entry

The record behind EIR-1115 holds the site, the operator, the owner, the root cause and the fire service response as fields you can filter, count and export, with its source and their verification status. Companies are named in the roles the sources give them. Being named is not a finding of fault.

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Fire service response: ••••••••••
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