Death toll in Kolkata warehouse fire rises to 8, bodies charred beyond recognition

The fire broke out around 3 am Monday at the warehouse under the jurisdiction of Narendrapur police station under Sonapur Assembly constituency. The warehouse belonged to a well-known momos company and was packed with soft drinks and dry food packets.

Twelve fire engines initially rushed to the spot, and it took nearly seven hours to bring the blaze under control. Despite their efforts, the fire was not fully extinguished by Monday night and continued to glow in patches.

While the warehouse staff initially claimed that three colleagues were on the night shift, it later emerged that 20 people were missing, prompting a missing persons case to be filed. Eventually, 16 workers were confirmed missing, and a search began.

According to police sources, 20 families have filed missing person reports at the local police station. Identification is deemed nearly impossible at this stage, and only forensic and viscera tests can provide clarity, police sources said.

When asked about the allegation that the warehouse was constructed by filling in a water body, minister Bose said, “The land department will surely look into that. Those responsible for monitoring such issues will take notice. I have spoken with the director general of police. There were no firefighting measures in place here. We found nothing of the sort. We conduct fire audits and need to confirm whether one was performed here. That will be investigated. Every case undergoes an investigation. A forensic team will visit, an FIR will be filed, and a probe will follow.”

When questioned about why it took him 32 hours to reach the scene, the minister said he was occupied with Republic Day celebrations.

Earlier, on Monday afternoon, minister Aroop Biswas and Jadavpur Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sayani Ghosh visited the site. They were followed in the evening by BJP MLA Ashok Dinda, who said he had heard that many of the firm’s workers lived in temporary shelters inside the warehouse.

After inspecting the site, Minister Aroop Biswas spoke with firefighters Monday evening.

“Although the fire is under control, pocket fires remain in some areas. Smoke is still billowing from inside the warehouse. Firefighters are working tirelessly, though some are falling ill due to the thick black smoke,” he said.

The minister added that once the fire is fully extinguished, personnel will enter the warehouse to search for any missing workers still trapped inside.

Anxious wait for relatives of missing

Tanmoy Giri, a resident of Tamluk in East Midnapore, said, “My uncle lived in the small rooms inside the warehouse and worked for a decorating firm. I last spoke to him at 1 am; now his phone is switched off. I have been waiting here since 9 am.”

Another youth reported that his father had come for a night shift at a momo-making unit, but there has been no contact since the fire. It was reported that the deceased and missing were residents of East Midnapore, West Midnapore, and South 24 Parganas.

Jadavpur MP Sayani Ghosh and Sonarpur North MLA Firdousi Begum also visited the location. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari accused the TMC government of insensitivity and a lack of coordination in disaster management during such a major crisis.

“Ministers and senior officials were enjoying the Republic Day holiday with no concern for the poor. The sooner this government goes, the better,” he said.

Responding to these comments, minister Biswas said, “This is not the time to play politics over a human tragedy.”

This accident marks one of the deadliest fires in Bengal since April 30 last year, when a fire at a hotel in Central Kolkata claimed 14 lives.