Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has blasted the Left government over the Park Street fire, saying there is nothing in the name of disaster management available.

Mamata said the fire began at 2 pm on Tuesday, but she had deliberately delayed her arrival at the site so no one would accuse her of hampering rescue efforts. But, she said, "I was keeping an eye on matters and we waited for one-and-a half hours before coming here."

She said she did not want to make a political point, but criticised the "lack of a disaster management system in place". She said she had in fact dispatched a railway emergency team from the Sealdah railway station to help rescue efforts.