Disaster struck Katihar’s Kursela area on a fateful Sunday evening, February 15, when a market fire annihilated aspirations of countless traders. The State Haat at Shaheed Chowk, a hub for local commerce, became an inferno starting from a cloth vendor’s stall around 7:30 PM. Over 500 makeshift shops selling apparel, gadgets, produce, and more were reduced to rubble in minutes.
Spectators from afar watched in horror as towering flames painted the horizon crimson, visible even 5 kilometers out. Highways NH-31 and SH-77 turned into scenes of pandemonium with halted traffic and fleeing crowds. Residents in nearby concrete homes frantically hauled out valuables, gripped by widespread fear.
Questions abound on the firefighting lapses. The first responder, a minor vehicle, depleted rapidly, and major backups lagged, exacerbating the 7 crore rupee catastrophe. Primarily hit were fabric and beauty product outlets, leaving merchants broken.
Personal tales of woe emerged: families pooling pennies for weddings, loans teetering on default. With 500 livelihoods vaporized, survival hangs by a thread. Prompt arrival of SDO, DSP, BDO, and local police offered glimmers of hope, pledging accurate surveys and aid disbursal.
The Katihar fire not only destroyed material wealth but eroded community trust in safety nets. Recovery demands not just funds but systemic reforms to prevent such market massacres, ensuring no more dreams dissolve into ash.