Two adjacent warehouses in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district caught fire on Monday, killing at least eight people and leaving several others missing. The fire, which broke out in two warehouses located in Nazirabad, under the Narendrapur police station area of Kolkata, was brought under control after a seven-hour effort.
During a search operation, three bodies were recovered from the scene around 5 p.m., and four more were later recovered. Three more bodies were recovered around 5 p.m., and five more were recovered during subsequent searches. According to police, the fire broke out around 3 a.m. Twelve fire engines brought the fire under control by 10 a.m. after a seven-hour effort. However, smoke and flames remained in some parts of the warehouse until late in the evening.
Baruipur district Superintendent of Police, Subhendu Kumar, said the deceased were unable to be identified as the bodies were badly burned. He added that only after the debris is fully cleared will it be possible to determine if there are any more bodies at the site or if anyone is trapped in the rubble.
Six people were initially reported missing, but relatives say the number could be as high as 10. The warehouse housed workers from a decorating company and a popular Momo chain, who lived in temporary rooms there.
Four workers escaped the factory in time to save their lives. The deceased and missing workers are from Purba Medinipur, West Medinipur, and South 24 Parganas districts.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, alleged that the state government displayed insensitivity and a lack of coordination in disaster management during such a large fire. Ministers and senior officials were celebrating Republic Day. BJP MLA Ashok Dinda alleged that the main gate of the warehouse was locked at midnight, preventing many workers from escaping.
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