Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday condoled the loss of lives in the devastating fire at two godowns in Kolkata’s Anandapur area and announced ex-gratia assistance for the victims from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.In a statement, the PMO said, “The recent fire mishap in Anandapur, West Bengal is very tragic and saddening. My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that those injured recover at the earliest.” He added that “An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.”Also read – Kolkata godown fire: 11 charred bodies recovered, 23 still missing; families in limboAt least 11 people have died in the fire, while around 23 others missing, raising fears that the toll could climb further. So far, 21 body parts, including partially burnt and skeletal remains, have been recovered from the site, officials said. The blaze broke out around 3 am on Monday at a godown belonging to Pushpanjali Decorators and rapidly spread to an adjacent warehouse operated by food chain Wow! Momo near Ruby crossing. Officials said inflammable materials stored in both structures caused the fire to spread quickly, trapping workers inside.Police said only three of the nearly 37 workers present managed to escape. Most of those inside were staying on the godown premises and hailed from neighbouring districts. By Tuesday evening, 11 charred bodies had been recovered, with authorities saying DNA tests would be conducted to establish identities. Rescue operations continued cautiously as large portions of the structures had collapsed, slowing the search for those feared trapped under debris.West Bengal urban development minister and Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim, who visited the site, announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each affected family. Narendrapur police detained Gangadhar Das, the owner of Pushpanjali Decorators, from his East Midnapore residence. According to officials, Das owns the land on which both warehouses were built, while the Wow! Momo unit was operating on lease.Preliminary investigations have pointed to serious fire safety lapses. A senior police officer said, “An investigation is on to ascertain the exact cause of the fire. Prima facie we suspect the blaze started from a cooking oven. We are also looking into fire safety compliance of the godowns.” Fire minister Sujit Bose said the units were operating without mandatory fire safety clearances. “A probe has been initiated to ascertain the cause. We are also checking if fire audit was done. Stern legal action will be taken against the godown owners for lapses,” he said.Wow! Momo, however, said its warehouse had complied with safety norms. A company spokesperson said, “Twenty-eight fire extinguishers were installed inside the warehouse. The godown that belongs to the decorator’s company did not have any compliance and the fire spread from there.”As rescue teams continued operations, relatives of missing workers gathered at the site, anxiously seeking information. Many were seen breaking down, uncertain about the fate of their family members. “We are waiting for any word, but the silence is deafening. Our boys came here to earn a living, not to disappear into ash,” said a relative of one of the missing workers from Panskura.
