A devastating fire at twin warehouses in Kolkata’s Anandapur area on Republic Day has claimed at least 27 lives, with 27 people still reported missing, turning the tragedy into a political flashpoint over alleged government apathy and delayed response. Four days after the blaze, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is yet to visit the site, drawing sharp criticism from the Opposition.
Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose faced protests from BJP workers when he reached the spot nearly 32 hours after the fire broke out. Protesters raised ‘go back’ slogans, leading to a brief scuffle with Trinamool supporters before police restored order.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who visited the area on Thursday, accused the Chief Minister of neglect despite living about 10 km away. “Mamata Banerjee’s residence is barely 10 kilometres from the spot, yet she did not come. This government feels no responsibility,” he alleged.
In a social media post, Adhikari described the incident as a “direct consequence of chronic negligence, incompetence and failure of governance”, demanding the Fire Minister’s resignation and enhancement of compensation to Rs 50 lakh per family.
On Friday, Adhikari led a BJP procession at Narendrapur, demanding the arrest of the food chain owners and alleging that the ruling party was shielding those responsible. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita were imposed ahead of his proposed visit, though the Calcutta High Court allowed a protest march with a cap of 2,000 participants.
Adhikari also accused the Chief Minister of not visiting or consoling victims’ families, alleging discriminatory indifference.
The fire broke out around 3 am on January 26 at warehouses belonging to Pushpanjali Decorators and the Wow! Momo food chain. Investigators believe unauthorised cooking at the decorators’ warehouse triggered the blaze, which quickly spread to adjoining structures.
Trapped workers made desperate calls to their families. One relative said, “My son-in-law called at 3 am and said ‘save me’. We rushed there but could not find anyone.” Another missing worker, Pankaj Haldar, reportedly said the main gate was locked from outside and workers were trying to break through a wall.
Police have recovered 21 body parts, including partially burnt and skeletal remains; 16 have been sent for DNA analysis as identification through conventional means is not possible.
From a meeting in Singur on Wednesday, Banerjee announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for families of the deceased and employment as civic volunteers for one family member. Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim visited the site on Tuesday to convey the announcement, saying he was sent by the Chief Minister. State Power Minister Aroop Biswas also visited earlier to review rescue operations.
Wow! Momo separately announced Rs 10 lakh compensation per family, lifetime monthly salary support and full educational funding for children of the deceased.
Fire Department Director General Ranveer Kumar said the warehouses lacked fire safety clearance and were operating without authorisation. The premises stored large quantities of inflammable materials—plastic flowers, wood, fabric and furniture—across nearly four bighas, employing 150–200 workers.
Police have arrested Gangadhar Das, owner of the Pushpanjali Decorators warehouse, on charges of death due to negligence; he has been remanded to police custody till February 4.
Two Wow! Momo employees—warehouse manager Raja Chakraborty and deputy manager Manoranjan Sheet—have also been arrested for alleged negligence.