Kolkata Warehouse Fire Death Toll Rises to 21; More Feared Trapped, Owner Arrested

Kolkata Warehouse Fire Death Toll Rises to 21; More Feared Trapped, Owner Arrested

Kolkata: The death toll in the devastating fire that engulfed two adjoining warehouses in Kolkata’s Anandapur area has climbed to 21, with authorities warning that the number may rise further as search and rescue operations continue. Several people are still missing, police said on Thursday.

Officials have collected 16 DNA samples from relatives of missing workers, which will be sent for DNA profiling to help identify badly charred bodies and body parts recovered from the site.

The fire broke out before dawn at a warehouse belonging to Pushpanjali Decorators and rapidly spread to an adjacent godown operated by popular food chain Wow! Momo. Many workers were reportedly asleep when the blaze erupted, leaving them little chance to escape.

Families of several workers have lodged missing person complaints, fearing their relatives may still be trapped beneath the debris of the gutted structures.

Arrest and Investigation

Police have arrested Gangadhar Das, the owner of the Pushpanjali Decorators warehouse, on charges of causing death by negligence. He was picked up from the Garia area on Tuesday night, produced before a sub-divisional court after a medical examination, and remanded to police custody until February 4.

Investigators said four workers from the decorators’ warehouse survived the blaze and may be brought back to the site, if required, to help reconstruct the sequence of events.

Role of Wow! Momo Under Scrutiny

The incident has raised serious questions about safety practices at the Wow! Momo godown, which was rented from Das. Police are probing whether fire safety norms were violated.

According to preliminary findings, Wow! Momo operated a 12,000-square-foot warehouse at the site, used to store packaging materials, beverages and other supplies. Much of the stock was destroyed in the fire. Investigators noted that materials were stacked near the main entrance, potentially obstructing movement during the emergency.

Officials also found that the warehouse complex did not have clearance from the fire department. The facility is located in the marshy Nazirabad area near the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass—land that locals say has been illegally filled up over the years.

Fire department teams are examining the premises to determine the exact cause of the blaze, while search operations continue to rule out the presence of more trapped victims.

Conflicting Accounts

Wow! Momo has issued differing statements on casualties. Initially, the company said three of its workers had died. In a subsequent statement, it clarified that two employees and one contracted security guard were killed in the January 26 fire.

The company said the fire broke out around 3 am in a neighbouring warehouse and spread rapidly into its godown, completely destroying the facility. It also claimed the blaze may have originated due to unauthorised cooking activities at the adjoining warehouse.

Announcing compensation, Wow! Momo said it would provide ₹10 lakh to each affected family, lifetime monthly salary support for bereaved families, and educational assistance for the children of the deceased.

Government Response and Political Fallout

The West Bengal government has also announced an ex gratia payment of ₹10 lakh for each victim’s family. Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said the compensation would be disbursed after identification of the bodies, with court permission sought for DNA testing.

The tragedy has sparked political controversy. On Thursday, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari staged a protest at the site, blaming Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the incident.

Meanwhile, grieving families have demanded accountability, citing glaring safety lapses. A key focus of the investigation is why those inside were unable to escape, with police examining whether doors were locked from outside or exit routes were blocked.