After surviving fire,joblessness haunts employees

Kumar and a woman receptionist Sanchari De who were able escape the blaze were running from police station to the morgue to trace four other missing employees of the company.

Employees of the building said there were about 200 offices on the two top floors.

“By God’s grace,I went to have lunch when the fire broke out. I am alive,but how will I feed family without a job?” Rabi Patra asked.

For some employees getting another job may be a difficult affair as they suffered serious injuries while jumping off the building to avoid certain death.

Those who jumped off and were injured while escaping with the help of ropes and fell have broken hips,legs and hands,hospital doctors said.

“They may have escaped the inferno,but the huge cost of treatment,loss of friends,colleagues and joblessness are staring them in the face,” Sanchari said.

The employees of restaurants like Peter Cat and music store Music World on the ground floor,closed since the March 23 fire,are also unsure about what is in store for them.

Prabir Saha,an employee of Peter Cat,said,”The owner has assured to pay us during the period restaurant is closed.”

The residents on the floors which the fire did not affect were also living in uncertainty.

“We have been allowed to collect our belongings with most flats lying closed. We are anxious to return,” K K Saha,a resident of Stephen Court said.

Officials of KMC who are overseeing the debris removal work were unsure when the work would be over. “Five days are past and it may take another week to allow people to enter the building.”