Death toll in Kolkata warehouse fire reaches 8; rescue operation on

Kolkata: The West Bengal Police on Tuesday said that the death toll in the massive fire at the warehouse in the Anandapur area of Kolkata has reached eight, while several others are still missing.

According to the police, about 15 fire engines worked round the clock to douse the fire, which broke out at the dry food warehouse at around 3 a.m. on Monday. The search for others is still underway. With the fire under control, firefighters are now trying to douse some pocket fires.

Till Monday evening, there were reports of seven confirmed deaths. On Tuesday, the death of another person was reported.

“So far, eight people have died in the fire. Several others are still missing. Search is on as the fire is almost under control,” said a senior officer of Baruipur Police District.

The warehouse in Nazirabad in Anandapur primarily stored dry, packaged food items and bottles of soft drinks. According to the fire department, the blaze spread to two adjacent warehouses. Almost everything has been destroyed. Since the warehouse was located inside a narrow alley, firefighters faced difficulties in extinguishing the flames.

State Power Minister Aroop Biswas visited the scene and consoled the family of the deceased. He inspected the rescue operation and also spoke with the families of the missing individuals.

However, it is unclear how the fire started in the warehouse. Fire department officials suspect that a short circuit might have caused the fire.

The employees on night duty were trapped inside. It was learnt that more than six people, working as security guards at the warehouse, were trapped. Many alleged that more people could be inside the warehouse. Locals alleged that the warehouse was locked from the outside, which is why the people inside could not come out.

Family members of the trapped workers said that the warehouse had been burning since 3 a.m. on Monday. The workers had called from inside and even tried to break down a wall to escape. After that, contact was lost.

It is believed that all the goods in the warehouse have been reduced to ashes. The extent of the damage is not yet clear.

IANS