The tragedy at the Nazirabad warehouse fire is growing as forensic teams begin the difficult job of identifying victims from the charred remains. On Wednesday, police confirmed that at least 16 people have died. The death toll may rise as search operations enter their third day in South 24 Parganas.
Authorities have sent 14 separate exhibits of human remains, including skulls and bone fragments, to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) for DNA testing. Due to the severity of the blaze, many victims were “charred beyond recognition,” making forensic analysis essential for identification.
The search for 27 missing workers
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While 16 bodies have been recovered, at least 27 people are still officially missing. Families from Purba and Paschim Medinipur have gathered at the site near Anandapur, holding onto hope despite painful accounts of final phone calls from inside the fire.
“We have received 27 missing complaints. Because the remains are so badly damaged, we cannot yet provide a final body count; two exhibits might belong to one person,” said a senior officer from the Baruipur police district.
The court has approved DNA matching, and blood samples from grieving relatives will be collected this week to match against the recovered remains.
Zero fire safety: Warehouse owner arrested
Investigations revealed a complete lack of safety measures at the site, which housed warehouses for Pushpanjali Decorators and the popular food chain Wow! Momo.
Illegal Operations: Senior fire department officials confirmed that the warehouses had no fire safety clearance, no alarm systems, and no working firefighting equipment.
Arrest Made: Gangadhar Das, owner of Pushpanjali Decorators and the land where the warehouses stood, was arrested on Tuesday. A Baruipur court has placed him in police custody for three days on charges of negligence leading to death.
The Cause: While a short circuit is suspected, some reports indicate that unauthorized cooking in a nearby unit may have sparked the highly flammable thermocol, plastic, and fabrics stored inside.
State and corporate compensation
The West Bengal government has announced a compensation payment of ₹10 lakh for each family that lost a member.
In a separate statement, Wow! Momo, which lost two employees and a security guard in the fire, expressed deep sorrow, announcing a compensation package that includes:
- Rs 10 lakh lump-sum payment.
- Lifetime monthly salary support for grieving families.
- Education support for the children of the deceased.
A systemic failure
The fire, which started around 3:00 AM on Monday (Republic Day), has led to a heated political debate. Opposition leaders have called the incident a “result of ongoing negligence,” while local residents claimed the warehouse was locked from the outside, trapping workers in narrow alleyways that also blocked fire engines.
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