Five days after the devastating fire at the warehouse and manufacturing unit of a momo company, Wow Momo, in south Kolkata’s Anandapur, rescue operations resumed on Friday morning. According to the latest official reports, the remains of 25 people have been recovered so far.
In connection with the incident, Narendrapur police have arrested Raja Chakraborty, the manager in charge of the Wow Momo warehouse, and his deputy manager, Manoranjan Sheet.
The Central Government on Friday announced ex-gratia compensation for the families of those killed and injured in the devastating fire incident at Anandapur in south Kolkata.
In a post on its official X handle, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) expressed deep condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the blaze.
According to the PMO, a one-time compensation of ₹2 lakh will be provided to the next of kin of each deceased victim from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF). In addition, financial assistance of ₹50,000 will be given to each person who sustained injuries in the incident.
The Central Government is also closely monitoring developments related to the incident, even as state agencies continue search and investigation.
Following an inspection of the site, the fire department stated that fire safety arrangements at the Wow Momo warehouse were grossly inadequate. Investigators are also examining whether mandatory and regular fire safety audits were conducted. Based on allegations of negligence, police proceeded with the arrests.
Family members of 27 people had earlier lodged missing person complaints at the Narendrapur police station. While remains of 25 individuals have been recovered, officials said that due to the severe damage caused by the fire, it is currently difficult to ascertain whether some remaining fragments at the site are human or animal. As a result, authorities have not ruled out the possibility of recovering more remains.
The warehouse was completely gutted in the blaze, significantly hampering rescue and recovery efforts. DNA samples are being collected from the recovered remains to aid in the identification process. The police have sealed the premises, and Section 163 has been imposed in the area to prohibit gatherings of more than five people, in order to prevent any tampering or destruction of evidence.
Meanwhile, the initial investigation has shed light on the origin of the fire. Gangadhar Das, the arrested owner of the adjoining decorator company, which was also gutted in the fire, had claimed that the fire originated in the momo warehouse. Preliminary reports from forensic experts and the fire department now indicate that the fire actually broke out at the decorator’s warehouse.
According to officials, the fire started in the three-storey section on the west side of the decorator’s warehouse and subsequently spread rapidly, engulfing both the decorator’s facility and the adjacent Wow Momo warehouse.
Further investigation is underway to determine responsibility and ensure accountability in one of the deadliest industrial fires in the area in recent years.
Also read: Kolkata fire: DNA tests to identify victims as death toll mounts
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