At least 11 people were killed and around 23 others remained missing after a massive fire engulfed two adjoining godowns near Ruby crossing in Kolkata’s Anandapur area in the early hours of Monday. The blaze, which broke out around 3 am, spread rapidly due to the presence of highly inflammable materials, trapping dozens of workers inside the structures.
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The fire originated in a godown operated by Pushpanjali Decorators and quickly extended to a neighbouring warehouse leased by Wow! Momo, a food chain with a nationwide footprint. Residents of the area said that nearly 37 workers were present at the two facilities when the fire broke out, and only three managed to escape. Most of the workers were reportedly living on the premises and hailed from nearby districts.
Death toll may rise as many remain missing
By Tuesday evening, rescue teams had recovered 11 charred bodies from the site. However, officials expressed concern that the death toll could rise significantly, given the large number of workers still unaccounted for. Authorities said DNA tests would be conducted to establish the identities of the victims.
Officials noted that if the number of fatalities increases, the incident could rank among the deadliest fire tragedies in Kolkata’s recent history, after the AMRI Hospital fire that killed 89 people and the Stephen Court blaze that claimed 43 lives over a decade ago.
On Tuesday afternoon, state urban development minister and Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim visited the spot in Nazirabad under Narendrapur police station jurisdiction. He announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each affected family.
Police detained Gangadhar Das, the owner of Pushpanjali Decorators, from his residence in East Midnapore. Sources said Das owns the land on which both godowns were constructed, while the Wow! Momo warehouse was operating on lease.
Fire safety lapses under scrutiny
Police and fire department officials pointed to serious lapses in fire safety arrangements at the two godowns. A senior police officer said, “An investigation is on to ascertain the exact cause of the fire. Prima facie we suspect the blaze started from a cooking oven. We are also looking into fire safety compliance of the godowns,” according to TOI.
Fire minister Sujit Bose, who also inspected the site, said the units were functioning without mandatory clearances and lacked adequate firefighting infrastructure. “A probe has been initiated to ascertain the cause. We are also checking if fire audit was done. Stern legal action will be taken against the godown owners for lapses,” he said, according to TOI.
A spokesperson for Wow! Momo stated that their Nazirabad warehouse had been operational for three years and followed prescribed fire safety norms. “Twenty-eight fire extinguishers were installed inside the warehouse. The godown that belongs to the decorator’s company did not have any compliance and the fire spread from there,” he said.
Locals alleged that waterbodies in the area had been filled up over the years to make way for factories and warehouses. Responding to the allegations, Hakim said, “The waterbodies were filled during the Left Front regime. Our govt gives importance to the preservation of wetlands. Cops are probing the incident, and none responsible for the tragedy will be spared,” as per TOI report.
Rescue operations continued through Tuesday as firefighters and disaster response teams carefully entered the weakened structures to search for bodies feared trapped under collapsed roofs and debris. Officials said the effort was slow due to the risk of further collapse. “We are proceeding very carefully as the structure has become weak. Safety of the rescue teams is our priority. This has slowed down the rescue effort,” said an official of the disaster response group.
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Ambulances remained stationed near the site, while police cordoned off the area to prevent crowding. Families of missing workers, many of whom had travelled from distant places, were seen waiting anxiously for updates. “We are waiting for any word, but the silence is deafening. Our boys came here to earn a living, not to disappear into ash,” said a relative of one of the missing men from Panskura. |
