The toll in the fire at two warehouses in Kolkata on Monday increased to 19, ETV Bharat quoted the police as saying on Wednesday.
The warehouses, one operated by quick-service restaurant chain Wow! Momo and the other by a decorator, are located in East Kolkata’s Anandapur area.
The fire reportedly began at about 3 am on Monday in one of the warehouses and spread to the other, The Times of India reported.
Throughout Monday, firefighters tried to bring the blaze under control, The Hindu reported.
The rescue operations had continued on Tuesday amid fears that more workers may be trapped under the debris. At least 13 workers from East Medinipur district are unaccounted for, ETV Bharat quoted the police as saying.
Residents told The Times of India that only three of about 37 workers in the two warehouses had managed to get out. Several workers were believed to be sleeping inside at the time of the fire, according to ETV Bharat.
The police have not yet identified the bodies that were recovered and said that they will seek court permission to conduct DNA tests to identify the persons who had died, according to The Indian Express.
The Narendrapur Police registered a case of death due to negligence based on a complaint filed by the fire department.
The police arrested warehouse owner Gangadhar Das, ETV Bharat reported. He has been remanded to eight days of police custody.
Ranvir Kumar, the director general of the West Bengal Department of Fire and Emergency Services, told The Hindu that the warehouse did not have the mandatory fire safety clearance.
Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim said that action would be taken against those responsible and announced financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh for the families of those killed, ETV Bharat reported.
The compensation will be released after those killed in the incident are identified, he said.
Wow! Momo said in a statement on Wednesday that three of its employees had died in the incident.
The restaurant chain claimed that the fire had originated in the neighbouring warehouse and had “reportedly started due to unauthorised cooking”, adding that it was cooperating with the investigation.
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