Kolkata warehouse fire death toll rises to 27; many still missing

Kolkata: The death toll from the fire incident at the Anandapur warehouses, situated on the southern outskirts of Kolkata, has increased to 27, while 25 individuals remain unaccounted for, according to officials on Sunday.

Police sources said the remains of two more people were recovered from the charred warehouses in Anandapur on Saturday, taking the death toll to 27.

Amidst this, the formation of an SIT a week after the incident raised questions about the sudden activation of the authorities after such a delay.

The fire broke out at the Pushpanjali decorator’s warehouse and the Wow Momo factory in the early hours of January 26.

For 32 hours, despite working with wartime urgency, the fire services could not easily bring the inferno under control. Twelve fire engines were continuously deployed. Workers were trapped inside the warehouses and burned to death.

A week after the devastating fire, the Baruipur district police have finally decided to form an SIT — a five-member team led by Baruipur District Police SP Shubhendu Kumar. The team also includes the Additional Superintendent of Police, DSP Crime, DEB Inspector and another police officer of inspector rank.

It may be noted that the renowned Momo manufacturing company has faced scrutiny since the fire incident. Several people have been arrested. Allegations have been raised about the factory being built on a reclaimed wetland.

Police sources said the SIT will investigate everything, including examining the forensic report, focusing on DNA testing of the deceased and identifying the irregularities at the factory.

It is worth mentioning that the police have already arrested two more people in connection with this incident. The Narendraput police arrested the manager and deputy manager of the momo manufacturing company. Earlier, the owner of the Pushpanjali decorator’s warehouse, Gangadhar Das, was arrested. The incident also resulted in a war of words between Trinamool Congress and the BJP, with the latter accusing the Mamata Banerjee government of shielding the real culprits behind the incident.

IANS