Fire Breaks Out On Stage After Abhishek Banerjee Rally In Birbhum, No Injuries Reported
The incident occurred at the Phullaratala ground in Labpur moments after Banerjee stepped off the stage.
Published : March 28, 2026 at 9:44 PM IST
Labpur: A section of the stage caught fire shortly after party leader Abhishek Banerjee concluded his address during a Trinamool Congress rally in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Saturday.
The incident occurred at the Phullaratala ground in Labpur moments after Banerjee stepped off the stage. According to fire department sources, flames were first noticed at a corner of the upper section of the podium and caused chaos at the venue.
Senior officials, including District Superintendent of Police Suryapratap Yadav, were present near the stage when the fire broke out. Firefighters responded swiftly, using water from a fire engine and nitrogen gas to douse the flames. The blaze was brought under control within a short time, and no injuries were reported.
Sourav Mondal, Officer-in-Charge of the Bolpur Fire Department, said, “We were stationed nearby. As soon as we received information, we acted immediately. The fire was extinguished quickly, and no major mishap occurred.”
Preliminary findings indicate that a short circuit may have caused the fire, though officials said a detailed investigation is underway.
At the time of the incident, Banerjee had left the venue to visit the nearby Phullaratala temple, while his helicopter was parked about 50 metres from the stage. The proximity of the helicopter and the presence of a large crowd raised concerns that the situation could have escalated.
Earlier in the rally, Banerjee had launched an attack on the BJP, calling the election “a fight for revenge.” He suggested that BJP leaders visiting local areas should be handed brooms and asked to clean homes. He also urged voters to respond to the SIR issue through the ballot box.
Several Trinamool leaders, including Anubrata Mondal, Chandranath Sinha, Ashis Banerjee and Asit Mal, were present at the rally, which was held in support of the party’s candidate for the Labpur Assembly constituency. However, Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati Fayjul Haque, also known as Kajal Sheikh, was absent.
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