One of the 10 hosting venues of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 – Eden Garden faces a massive fire accident on Wednesday and brings down the dressing room to ashes.
The fire broke out during the renovation work of the stadium which was initiated as a part of World Cup 2023 preparation. The incident raises concern regarding the safety of the players and viewers of the World Cup 2023 event.
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is scheduled to play in India between October 5 – November 19 across 10 different venues in India. World Cup 2023 will be the first time the competition is held entirely in India; three previous editions were partially hosted there – 1987, 1996, and 2011.
As per ICC ODI World Cup 2023 schedule, the first match will be played between England and New Zealand on October 5 in Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Ahead of the tournament, BCCI decided to grant INR 50 crores for each World Cup hosting stadium to upgrade its infrastructure.
Following the fire accident at Eden Gardens, the fire department was immediately informed about the incident in the stadium and the situation was brought under control after the efforts of two fire engines.
Fire Breaks Out at Eden Gardens During Renovation Work
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is currently renovating the stadiums that are in line to host the matches of the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 and they are looking to provide world-class facilities for the teams and fans to watch spectacle in the country after 12 long years.
As per reports, the fire department said that the fire broke out in the false ceiling of the dressing room where the equipment of the cricketers was kept. Although the damage was not that great, all the belongings of the players there were burnt. Initially, it was believed that the fire was caused by a short circuit. The incident, meanwhile, brought the Eden Gardens’ infrastructure into question with less than two months left for the upcoming World Cup.
As per sources from the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), there is no CCTV connection right now in the stadiums.
CAB cannot afford to have any more errors in management before the World Cup. Joint Secretary Debabrata Das rushed to the venue after the news of fire breaking out at the Eden Gardens came out. He said that an investigation will be done on the matter to check whether or not there was any negligence
Recently, delegation teams of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) visited Eden Gardens to check the venue’s infrastructure and crowd management ahead of the World Cup 2023.
“They don’t have much observation. They are satisfied with the work. After IPL they are very happy with the clubhouse, conference room and all. They have little issue with the washroom. But they are happy with the work that is going on.
We are discussing on improving the commentary boxes. We are in the discussion stage. They will mail us the report and will again have an inspection on the 1st of September,” CAB President Snehasis Ganguly said after the visit.
