South 24 Parganas: At least eight people have died in a massive fire that engulfed two adjacent warehouses in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, with flames still burning in parts of the gutted structures more than 24 hours after the blaze began, officials said on Tuesday. Several workers are feared trapped inside the twin units located in Najirabad, on the outskirts of Kolkata.
The fire broke out around 3 am on Monday, prompting an urgent response from emergency services. Twelve fire tenders were deployed to contain the blaze, which was largely brought under control after nearly seven hours. However, pockets of fire continue to smoulder, complicating rescue efforts.
“Several charred bodies and skeletal remains have been recovered since Monday night, but fire continues to rage in some areas, raising concerns that the death toll may rise,” an official said. Those confirmed dead or missing are residents of Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, and South 24 Parganas districts.
Authorities said DNA samples will be collected from family members to help identify the recovered bodies, as many were severely burned beyond recognition. The cause of the fire and the full extent of damage remain under investigation.
During a rescue operation on Monday evening, three badly charred bodies were retrieved from the warehouses, followed by five more later, bringing the confirmed death toll to eight. Baruipur Superintendent of Police Shubhendu Kumar noted that initial reports suggested six people were missing, but families of the workers feared the number trapped could exceed ten.
West Bengal Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose confirmed that teams were continuing operations to extinguish lingering flames across multiple floors of the damaged structures while carrying out rescue efforts. Authorities emphasized that work would continue until the site is declared fully safe, after which a thorough investigation into the incident will be launched.
The fire has caused widespread distress in the area, highlighting the risks faced by workers in industrial units and raising questions about safety measures at warehouse facilities.
