16 dead, 13 missing in Kolkata godown fire; owner arrested for ‘safety lapse’

At least 16 people are dead while 13 remain missing after a massive fire broke out at a warehouse in Kolkata’s Anandapur area in the early hours of Monday (January 26). Search operations continue even more than 60 hours later as emergency personnel sift through the debris of the gutted godown, where charred bodies and bone fragments have been recovered.

Unlicensed warehouse reason behind disaster

According to fire and police officials, the blaze spread rapidly due to the presence of large quantities of inflammable materials stored inside the warehouse. Preliminary findings suggest the godown was operating without mandatory fire safety clearance, raising serious concerns over regulatory lapses.

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Fire department officials say the storage of combustible items significantly intensified the fire, making rescue efforts difficult. "There was no fire safety clearance issued for this unit...The presence of large amounts of combustible materials appears to have caused the fire to spread rapidly," news agency PTI quoted a fire department official as saying.

Body identification underway

Forensic teams have begun examining the recovered bodies, with identification posing a major challenge due to severe charring. Authorities have registered missing persons’ complaints and said DNA testing will be conducted after obtaining court approval. Death certificates and compensation will be issued only after identities are confirmed through forensic procedures.

Govt extends support to families of deceased

The West Bengal government has announced Rs 10 lakh as financial assistance for each deceased person’s family. India Today quoted Mayor Firhad Hakim as saying, "The families of the deceased will be provided Rs 10 lakh each as financial assistance."

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said the state would extend all possible support to the affected families and that strict legal action would be taken against those found responsible for the incident. She also said the government will consider offering jobs to the heirs of the deceased once identification procedures are completed.

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Police have arrested Gangadhar Das, the owner of the warehouse, in connection with the fire. An FIR has been registered, and officials say the investigation is examining all angles, including safety violations and operational irregularities.

Authorities have also begun reaching out to the families of missing workers to assure them of continued assistance.