Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], January 27 : At least three people lost their lives after a fire broke out at a manufacturing unit in the Anandapur area of Kolkata in the early hours of Monday, officials said.
Rescue and relief operations were immediately launched, and firefighting teams were deployed to bring the blaze under control.
Speaking tofrom the site of the incident, Sinjini Sengupta, Block Development Officer (BDO), said that three bodies have been recovered so far and the search operation is underway.
"Fire brigade is still looking for them (bodies), the search operation is on....so far three bodies have been found, and we are looking further," she said.
Meanwhile, political reactions have begun to emerge following the incident. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ashok Dinda alleged negligence on the part of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and claimed that inadequate safety measures at the factory led to the loss of lives, asserting that strong legal action.
"Allegations are being made that the factory was illegal. But now people have died, and the government has to take accountability. There were no fire alarms or a proper security system....The TMC government promotes such corruption....I will be looking into this matter. I will try to help the families of the affected....I will be asking the police authorities to provide the names of the missing, and we will approach the High Court on the matter. It is a matter of human lives that cannot be compensated with money. We are with the families and will try to support them to the best of our capacity," he said.
Families of the victims expressed anguish and concern over the safety lapses at the factory.
Uttam Hazra Pachim, a victim's family member, said, "My brother-in-law is missing. We tried contacting the police; no answer. They are still looking for his name, Krishnendu Saha. He used to work as a decorator. We tried calling him, but his phone was switched off. We tried calling his friend."
Gariya Mousmi Halder said, "My husband called me around 3 am in the morning and said I won't be alive, you won't see me again. When I came police were there and there was fire, they couldn't go in..."
Another person said, "I used to work here. Now, my friend is working; when I used to work, there was no fire safety system, and the fire department wasn't working. I got to know in the morning."
Superintendent of Police, Baruipur, Shubhendra Kumar, said that an investigation into the incident is underway. Further details are awaited as authorities continue rescue operations and probe the cause of the fire.
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