Deadly Blaze In Anandapur Warehouses Leaves 7 Killed, Over 20 Untraceable
A pre-dawn fire tore through a warehouse complex in Kolkata’s Anandapur on Monday, leaving at least seven people dead and over 20 others unaccounted for.
The incident occurred around 3 a.m. in the Nazirabad area, where 12 fire tenders were rushed to contain the flames. Firefighters worked for several hours before bringing the situation under control.
Rescue teams later discovered seven bodies inside the gutted structure, though authorities have not yet officially confirmed identities. Search operations are continuing, and officials fear the casualty count may increase.
Two commercial units operated inside the premises – a storage unit linked to a momo production facility and a warehouse belonging to a decorator company. While three individuals were inside the food storage section, nearly 25 workers were reportedly present in the decorator unit when the blaze erupted.
Most of those inside remain missing. Distressed relatives gathered outside the site throughout the day and registered missing person reports at the local police station. Several of the workers are believed to be migrants from East and West Midnapore districts. Initial observations suggest that flammable stocks such as packaged food and beverage materials may have accelerated the spread of the fire, though the exact cause is under probe.
Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose expressed concern over safety lapses and questioned why people were housed inside warehouses at night and why industrial activity existed in the East Kolkata Wetlands Zone. Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari described the incident as evidence of administrative collapse.
