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21 dead in warehouse fire near Kolkata, 28 still missing; BJP accuses govt of ‘lapse’
Police officers said the fire broke out around 3 am on Monday in one warehouse and soon spread to the adjacent one
The death toll in the fire near Kolkata on January 26 has reached 21, with 13 more bodies found from gutted buildings. 28 others are still missing, with concerns that the number of casualties is likely to increase. Police also imposed prohibitory orders, restricting public movement in the area.
The deadly fire spread to two go godowns and a manufacturing unit of a momo company at Anandapur in South 24 Parganas district, in the early hours of Monday. The death toll has now risen to 21, with more than 13 bodies found in buildings.
"Given the nature of the incident and the extent of damage, the possibility of the toll going up cannot be ruled out," PTI quoted a senior police officer as saying.
Meanwhile, Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday visited the fire-hit Nazirabad area, where prohibitory orders under Section 163 of BNS were in force, but stopped short of entering the actual site, saying he would comply with the law.
A prohibitory order under Section 163 of BNS was imposed in the area from Wednesday midnight.
Adhikari also accused the government of showing ‘laxity.’ He said that fire services were late in reaching the spot. "Even after this incident, the TMC government is trying to hide the truth," he claimed.
Also read: 14 samples of human remains sent for forensic analysis after Nazirabad fire in Bengal
The BJP leader also wondered why ministers and TMC leaders were allowed at the spot, when the government is "so active to stop the opposition leader" from visiting the site, the BJP leader was quoted as saying.
The Monday blaze reduced warehouses and a manufacturing unit to rubble, leaving behind charred buildings and the bodies of workers.
Earlier, the officials said that DNA mapping of the 21 recovered bodies or body parts is likely to begin on Thursday to establish their identities. Police called it “essential” in this case to identify as many bodies as possible.
