Kolkata: Warehouse fire toll rises to 21, several missing

The toll in the fire that broke out at two warehouses in Kolkata on Monday has risen to 21, PTI quoted the police as saying on Thursday.

Twenty-eight persons remain missing, the news agency reported.

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.

DNA profiling of the recovered bodies, to establish their identities, was likely to begin on Thursday, the news agency quoted an unidentified police officer as saying.

“DNA profiling is essential in this case as many of the bodies are severely charred and identification through conventional means is not possible,” the officer said.

Search and recovery operations continued in the area on Thursday where several structures were gutted or partially collapsed, PTI reported.

Fire department and forensic teams are investigating what caused the fire.

The authorities imposed prohibitory orders on Thursday, restricting public movement in Anandapur ahead of a visit by Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari and other Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.

Adhikari visited the area on Thursday evening but was stopped by the police from entering the actual site, PTI reported.

“I follow the law,” PTI quoted him as telling reporters. “I will observe the situation from 100 metres away.”

Adhikari criticised the state’s Trinamool Congress government for alleged laxity and claimed that “fire services were late in reaching the spot”.

“The TMC government’s chronic apathy, corruption and failure to enforce basic regulations have caused this,” Adhikari added on social media. “Mamata Banerjee is yet to visit the site days after the tragedy.”

Adhikari also announced a protest rally at Narendrapur on Friday, which the Calcutta High Court has permitted, The Indian Express reported.