Seven killed, dozens missing after massive warehouse fire in Kolkata’s Nazirabad

At least seven people were killed and 21 others reported missing after a massive fire tore through a warehouse complex in eastern Kolkata early Monday, trapping workers who had been sleeping inside the premises (Source: Photo by Partha Paul)

The blaze broke out around 2.30 am at a warehouse in Nazirabad, Anandapur, a densely populated neighbourhood off the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in Kolkata (Source: Photo by Partha Paul)

The warehouse complex housed a decorators’ unit and a factory supplying a popular momo chain, with workers staying overnight inside units packed with flammable materials (Source: Photo by Partha Paul)

Police initially confirmed three deaths, but fire department sources later said seven badly burnt bodies were retrieved, with identification not immediately possible as debris continued to smoulder (Source: Photo by Partha Paul)

According to missing-person complaints, 25 people were inside the decorators’ unit and three others were in the momo factory when the fire broke out, with most of the missing being migrant workers from East and West Midnapore districts (Source: Photo by Partha Paul)

Fire officials said the decorators’ unit stored large quantities of thermocol and other highly combustible materials, while stocks of soft drinks and packaged food may have further fuelled the blaze (Source: Photo by Partha Paul)

Ten fire engines were rushed to the spot initially, followed by 12 more in phases, as firefighters battled the flames for hours while pockets of fire continued burning into the morning (Source: Photo by Partha Paul)

Relatives of the missing gathered outside the charred structure, searching for clues, as police said efforts were underway to trace the warehouse owners and an investigation had been launched (Source: Photo by Partha Paul)