The fire that broke out at a warehouse in Nazirabad, Anandapur, on the eve of Republic Day, is still not fully under control, even after 24 hours. Fire officials said several pocket fires remain. Smoke was seen rising from the debris even on Tuesday morning.
Police have registered a suo motu case over the incident. Burnt human body parts have been recovered from the gutted godown and an online delivery store. Authorities are also checking whether more people are trapped under the collapsed structure. Post-mortem examinations of those who died due to burn injuries will be conducted on Tuesday. Officially, the death toll stands at three so far.
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Families wait for answers
Many families claimed they are not getting clear answers despite approaching the police. At least 13 people from the East Midnapore district alone are reported missing. Relatives have been waiting at the spot throughout the night, searching for their loved ones. Some are looking for their brothers, others for their husbands. Families said the last contact was on Sunday evening, and phones have remained unanswered since then.
Late at night, Sonarpur BDO Shinjini Sengupta, Baruipur SDM Chitradeep Sen, and Moyna MLA Ashok Dinda visited the site. Missing diaries were filed at the Narendrapur police station.
Fear of more bodies under debris
It is learnt that the Thermocol factory was used by several decorator firms. Many workers linked to the decorator companies, who are consumers of Thermocol, were inside the factory. Several are feared to have failed to escape when the fire broke out. Locals said that there is a strong possibility that more bodies are buried under the burnt warehouse.
