A fire erupted at Kolkata’s renowned Eden Gardens Stadium during ongoing renovations for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2023. The incident occurred late in the evening, attributed to a short circuit that ignited a fire in the dressing room. Though the blaze was extinguished with the aid of two fire engines, the belongings of players present in the dressing room were tragically reduced to ashes.
The incident came shortly after an ICC team had inspected the stadium, slated to host five matches during the ODI World Cup, including the second semifinal. The stadium, with a seating capacity of 65,000, is undergoing extensive refurbishments in preparation for hosting key encounters, such as the India-South Africa clash on November 5.
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Workers engaged in the renovation process were the first to spot the fire, promptly alerting firefighters. Fortunately, the situation was brought under control before significant damage occurred. Tragically, the players’ personal items in the dressing room were lost to the fire. Investigators are currently looking into the cause of the fire, which is believed to have started in the false ceiling of the dressing room.
Fire broke out in Eden Garden’s dressing room last night. The fire happened due to the short circuit and all the kits of cricketers got destroyed in the incident. Two fire brigade had to be called to avoid further damage. A warning right before the World Cup.#CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/CtSefVkj34
— Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu) August 10, 2023
With the World Cup just two months away, this incident has cast a shadow over the preparations for the prestigious tournament. The renovation’s deadline is September 15, leaving a narrow window for completion, and the ICC is scheduled to conduct another inspection next month.
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Snehasish Ganguly, President of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), had recently expressed the ICC’s contentment with the progress of the Eden Gardens’ renovation. However, this incident has thrown an unexpected challenge into the mix.
As the stadium’s new dressing room involves the use of a significant amount of electrical equipment, it’s noteworthy that CCTV camera connections are not yet operational. CAB Joint Secretary Debabrata Das has confirmed that a comprehensive investigation will be carried out to determine the exact cause of the fire.
