नवीनतम
Toll in Kolkata warehouse fire mounts to 8
KOLKATA [Maha Media]: The death toll in the devastating fire at a warehouse in the Nazirabad area near Kolkata's Anandapur has mounted to eight on Tuesday.
State Minister Arup Biswas and Trinamool MP Saayoni Ghosh visited the site on Monday afternoon. After an inspection, Biswas said, "Although the fire has been brought under control, it is still burning in some pockets as smoke is still emanating from the godown. Firefighters are working tirelessly to douse the remnant fire. Some are falling ill due to intense smoke. Once the fire is completely extinguished, efforts to rescue any missing workers who might be trapped inside will be initiated. A forensic team will visit the spot for investigation. The authorities will investigate whether the fire safety system in the warehouse was functioning properly."
BJP MLA Ashok Dinda reached the spot in the evening. He said, "I heard many workers of a decorating company lived in temporary shelters built inside the warehouse. While four of them managed to escape just before the fire started, many others are likely to have been trapped inside as the main gate was locked."
Sonarpur North constituency MLA Firdausi Begum also came to the site.
The bodies were charred beyond recognition, and fire department sources said DNA samples will be collected from family members to identify them. However, the cause of the blaze and the extent of damage are yet to be ascertained.
Several relatives of the deceased and those missing gathered at the site for the latest information on the rescue operation. Tanmoy Giri, a resident of Tamluk in Purba Medinipur, said, "My uncle, who worked for a decorating firm, used to live in the small rooms inside the warehouse. He called me last at around 1 am. Now his phone is switched off. I have been waiting here since morning."
Another youth said his father came to work on the night shift at the Momo unit. But he couldn't contact him since the fire broke out.
All the deceased or missing individuals hail from Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, and South 24 Parganas districts. Missing complaints have been filed for 20 people since the fire broke out. Later, it was learned that 16 of them were missing.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, accused the Trinamool government of insensitivity and lack of coordination in disaster management during such a major fire. "Ministers, senior government and police officials are enjoying their Republic Day holiday, having no concern for the poor. The sooner this government goes, the better," he added.
"This is not the time to politicise a human tragedy," Biswar remarked in Adhikari's comment.
Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose on Monday evening said rescue operations were underway and teams were working to douse lingering pockets of fire across different floors of the gutted structures.
