Kolkata: Were the doors of the two warehouses that caught fire at Narendrapur near Kolkata, early on January 26, locked from the outside?
While no official death toll has been announced yet, 27 people have claimed that a relative is missing after the fire at the godowns, one of which was used by renowned food chain Wow Momo.
Sources said that at least 25 people perished in the devastating blaze. Many of them could have still been alive had the doors not been locked from the outside.
Forensic experts have said that about 25 charred body parts and bones have been collected and sent to the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL) in Kolkata to undergo DNA tests.
A search continues at the site with the fire services and disaster management departments deploying cranes and gas cutters to sift through the rubble. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNS have been imposed by the police to prevent a large gathering, even as relatives of missing people hope against hope for a miracle.
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those killed, while West Bengal governor C V Ananda Bose, who visited the site, blamed the tragedy on “systemic neglect”.
According to the Indian Express, three persons – including two Wow Momo officials – have been arrested till now.
“I do not want to blame anybody, but the fact remains that there has been failure on the part of the authorities concerned, else this kind of repeated incident would not have taken place. Exemplary action is required,” the governor said after visiting the site.
Officials said that one of the warehouses belongs to Pushpanjali Decorators, which had leased it to Wow Momo. According to fire department sources, inflammable materials stored at the site allegedly caused the blaze to spread rapidly. Authorities have claimed the warehouses lacked basic fire safety measures.
“There are many factories and godowns in the area. While some have licences, others don’t,” West Bengal fire services minister Sujit Bose told the media. “We have filed an FIR against the decorator firm. We will have to see whether the fire safety audit was done.”
Wow Momo, in a statement, indicated three of its employees were among the dead, suggesting the rest were from the other warehouse. Investigators, however, said the details of the dead are still being verified.
Gangadhar Das, owner of Pushpanjali Decorators, is among those arrested. Two Wow Momo employees – deputy manager Raja Chakraborty and warehouse manager Manoranjan Sheet – were arrested on Thursday evening and remanded in custody. Investigators are probing where they were at the time of the fire, sources said.
Prime Minister Modi announced the ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PMNRF for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured through a post on X. The Trinamool Congress announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh.
Wow Momo, in a statement issued on Thursday, said that the fire spread “from the neighbouring premises” and “reportedly started due to unauthorised cooking at their warehouse”.
“This fire engulfed not only our men, our spirit too,” it said. “Our hearts are immersed with grief and pain for having lost 2 of our valued employees and a NIS Contracted security guard in this entire catastrophe.”
The company announced compensation for its deceased employees, including a lump sum of Rs 10 lakh, continued monthly salary for the bereaved families, and support for children’s education.
“We are doing everything possible to support and cooperate with the respective administrative and government authorities in their various investigations,” the statement read.
