At least seven people were killed and 21 others reported missing after a massive fire ripped through a warehouse complex in eastern Kolkata early on Monday, trapping workers who were sleeping inside units packed with highly flammable materials.
Police initially confirmed three fatalities, but fire department officials later said seven charred bodies had been recovered from the debris. Identification was not immediately possible, and officials cautioned that the toll could change as search and rescue operations continued.
The fire broke out around 2.30 am at a warehouse in Nazirabad, Anandapur — a densely populated area near the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, a key arterial road linking south and east Kolkata. The complex housed a decorators’ unit and a factory supplying a popular momo chain.
According to missing-person complaints, 25 people had stayed overnight inside the decorators’ unit, while three others were present in the momo factory. Most of those reported missing are migrant workers from East and West Midnapore districts.
Fire officials said the decorators’ unit stored large quantities of thermocol and other combustible materials. Stocks of soft drinks and packaged food stored in the warehouse are believed to have further fuelled the blaze, causing it to spread rapidly across the structure.
Ten fire engines were initially rushed to the spot, with another 12 deployed in phases. Firefighters battled the inferno for several hours, but pockets of fire continued to smoulder into the morning, hampering rescue efforts. A bulldozer was brought in to clear debris, while a nearby workers’ mess and a residential house were evacuated as a precaution.
Relatives of the missing gathered outside the charred remains of the building, anxiously searching for news of their loved ones. Sonarpur resident Pankaj Haldar reportedly managed to make a frantic call to his family after the fire broke out, but the line went dead soon after.
“My father has been working here for the past seven years. There is still no news of him. We have found his cycle,” said Nayan Haldar, referring to Basudeb Haldar, the store-in-charge of the momo unit.
Police said efforts were under way to trace the warehouse owners, and an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire and assess possible safety lapses.
