The death toll from a warehouse fire in Anandapur rose to 21 on Thursday (January 29), officials said. At least 27 missing person complaints have been filed by families at the local police station since a massive fire engulfed the facility early Monday (January 26).
“The death toll is 21 and 27 missing persons complaints have been filed,” top police officials from Baruipur Narendrapur police station told The Hindu on Thursday.
Exhausted firefighters gave way to a new shift as rescue efforts continued Thursday morning at a burned-out warehouse on swampy ground. Four days after the fire, rescuers are treading carefully as the massive warehouse structure is now fragile and crumbling as it has been weakened by the fire.
Devastated surroundings
Many trees in the area were reduced to ashes, and the house next to the warehouse was blackened by smoke. The scene is a grim reminder of the devastation long after the flames have been extinguished. Firefighters continued to search for missing people and the remains of the dead as the air from the fire engines soaked up the charred debris on Thursday morning.
“Please stay behind the line. We don’t want the evidence to be tainted. Our forensics team is still collecting samples for the investigation and many people are still missing,” a firefighter told bystanders and media at the barricaded entrance to the warehouse. More bodies can be retrieved from the wreckage. Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanghita was imposed near the premises to prevent tampering with evidence.
EDITORIAL | Abysmal failure: Kolkata warehouse fire
DNA tests
The bodies of the victims were completely burned in the fire; bones and skulls were recovered from the site. DNA tests must be conducted to identify the individuals as families await news of their relatives.
Two warehouses were destroyed in the fire, one belonging to a local decorator and the other to the food chain Wow Momo. Three of the deceased were employees of Wow Momo and the rest worked in warehouses. However, Wow Momo claimed in their statement on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) that the fire did not start from their defeat and spread from the decorator’s premises. They offered ₹10 lakh compensation to the families.
The police on Wednesday arrested the owner of the warehouse, Gangadhar Das, and produced him before the Baruipur District Court.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also announced a compensation of ₹10 crore for the families of the deceased.
On Thursday, Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari planned a protest march to the fire area, but the police refused permission due to the implementation of Section 163.
Prohibition order
“As a responsible leader of the opposition, I intended to visit the area only after the rescue operation was over. But instead of taking responsibility, the TMC administration unleashed its favorite weapon: suppression of truth and opposition through ban under Section 163(2),” Mr. Adhikari said.
Similar feelings were evoked by passers-by.
Kolkata Fire and Rescue Services Director General Ranvir Kumar has already said that the warehouse does not have a fire permit. Opposition parties sought to find out how massive warehouses were operating in the city without proper permits. The ruling Trinamool Congress government has been heavily criticized for several procedural blunders. .
Devastated surroundings
Many trees in the area were reduced to ashes, and the house next to the warehouse was blackened by smoke. The scene is a grim reminder of the devastation long after the flames have been extinguished. Firefighters continued to search for missing people and the remains of the dead as the air from the fire engines soaked up the charred debris on Thursday morning.
“Please stay behind the line. We don’t want the evidence to be tainted. Our forensics team is still collecting samples for the investigation and many people are still missing,” a firefighter told bystanders and media at the barricaded entrance to the warehouse. More bodies can be retrieved from the wreckage. Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanghita was imposed near the premises to prevent tampering with evidence.
DNA tests
The bodies of the victims were completely burned in the fire; bones and skulls were recovered from the site. DNA tests must be conducted to identify the individuals as families await news of their relatives.
Two warehouses on the premises were destroyed in the fire, one belonging to a local decorator and the other to the food chain Wow Momo. Three of the dead were employees of Wow Momo and the rest worked in the warehouse. However, Wow Momo claimed in their statement on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) that the fire did not start from their defeat and spread from the decorator’s premises. They offered ₹10 lakh compensation to the families.
The police on Wednesday arrested the owner of the warehouse, Gangadhar Das, and produced him before the Baruipur District Court.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also announced a compensation of ₹10 crore for the families of the deceased.
On Thursday, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari planned a protest march to the fire area, but the police did not give him permission due to the implementation of Section 163.
Prohibition order
“As a responsible leader of the opposition, I intended to visit the area only after the rescue operation was over. But instead of taking responsibility, the TMC administration unleashed its favorite weapon: suppression of truth and opposition through ban under Section 163(2),” Mr. Adhikari said.
Similar feelings were evoked by passers-by.
Kolkata Fire and Rescue Services Director General Ranvir Kumar has already said that the warehouse does not have a fire permit. Opposition parties sought to find out how massive warehouses were operating in the city without proper permits. The ruling Trinamool Congress government has been heavily criticized for several procedural blunders.
Published – 29 Jan 2026 21:47 IST
