Toll In Kolkata Godown Fire Mounts To 19; Search On For Missing Workers
Fire officials said the godown had no fire safety measures in place and was running without permission. Court nod for DNA testing to be sought.
Published : January 28, 2026 at 3:34 PM IST
Kolkata: The death toll in the Nazirabad fire tragedy near Anandapur area of Kolkata mounted to 19 on Wednesday with the recovery of three more charred bodies after the blaze was doused, while search continues for the missing workers, police said.
The death count is likely to go up as about 25-30 people are still missing. However, police said about 13 people from East Medinipur district are still missing, and the exact number of deaths and missing persons can be revealed after the rescue operation is over.
Meanwhile, Godown owner Gangadhar Das, who was absconding since Tuesday following an FIR, has been arrested. He was produced in a court, which sent him to an eight-day police remand. A resident of East Harma village under Khejuri police station of East Medinipur, Das has been involved in the decorators business for over four decades.
State minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim said strict action will be initiated against those responsible for the incident. "Officials from the administration visited the homes of the missing persons to assure the families of extending all assistance. The state government will provide financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the families of those killed. The compensation will be released after the identification of the deceased. Permission will be sought from the court for a DNA test," he added.
Fire officials said the godown did not have proper fire safety measures in place and was running without permission. "No fire safety clearance has been issued for this unit," said a senior fire and emergency services official.
About 150 to 200 workers were working at the unit located on about four bighas of land. There was a large stockpile of highly flammable materials, including plastic flowers, wood, clothes and furniture, which aided the fire in spreading quickly. Although 12 fire tenders brought the fire under control after seven hours, several pocket fires were still raging.
Sushanta Bera, a survivor, said, "About 20 people were sleeping in a room. Suddenly, I woke up after hearing a scream and saw fire and thick black smoke all around. I couldn't get out and had to jump from the roof to save my life. The situation was very scary, as there was no safe passage for evacuation."
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