At least eight people were killed and 25 others went missing after a fire erupted in two adjoining warehouses in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district on Monday, January 6. The blaze in the twin units in the Najirabad area within Narendrapur police station limits, on the outskirts of Kolkata, was brought under control after a seven-hour firefight. However, pockets of fire in certain parts still raged.
While three badly charred bodies were recovered around 5 pm during a search operation in the adjacent godowns, five more bodies were discovered later, reported the news agency PTI. Baruipur police district SP Shubhendu Kumar said the identity of the eight deceased could not be ascertained as the bodies were charred beyond recognition.
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“Whether more people were trapped and killed in the blaze will be known only after the debris is completely cleared and the pockets of fire are completely put out by the fire brigade”, a senior police officer said.
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Initially, six people were reported missing, but families of those trapped said the number could be more than, 10 as the two warehouses housed labourers employed by a decorating firm and a popular momo chain, police said.
Fire services minister Sujit Bose said rescue operations were continuing and that teams were working to douse lingering pockets of fire across different floors of the gutted structures. He said high mast lamps had been installed at the spot.