Kolkata, India
A fire broke out in the players’ dressing room at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, where matches for the 2023 Cricket World Cup are scheduled to be held later this year.
Reports from Indian media indicate that the fire originated during ongoing renovation work within the dressing room on Thursday.
The cricketers of the Bengal team are currently practising at the venue, but they had left before the fire broke out. The sparks of the fire charred some towels left behind, which was largely the extent of the damage.
Upon discovering the fire, the stadium staff promptly notified local authorities, leading to the swift response of fire crews who swiftly took control of the situation. After hours of dedicated effort, the fire was successfully brought under control.
The Eden Gardens have a chequered history with the World Cup. The giant electronic score-board did not function during the 1987 match between New Zealand and Zimbabwe, though it was back for the final, between England and Australia.
In the 1996 semi-final, Sri Lanka posted 251-8 and reduced India to 120-8 when crowd violence prevented further play, and match referee Clive Lloyd rewarded the match to Sri Lanka.—Agencies
