Wow! Momo's Anandapur factory fire claims 21 lives, the momo giant faces social media backlash - Here's what we know so far

Early on January 26, 2026, a huge fire ripped through Kolkata's Anandapur area. Two neighbouring godowns were gutted. Reports say at least 21 workers who were inside the warehouses lost their lives. Another 23 workers are still missing.

Major security lapses found

As probes began, officials found serious safety lapses in the buildings. One of the affected warehouses belonged to the popular fast-food chain Wow! Momo. The blaze spread quickly after breaking out at a manufacturing unit in Anandapur and then moved across several godowns, Newsgram reported.

Initial reports suggested the fire started at a Wow! Momo warehouse grew rapidly because of highly inflammable materials stored inside. The company later rejected this claim in an official statement, saying the fire did not originate from its facility.

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Wow! Momo faces social media backlash

After facing strong backlash over claims that it ignored fire and safety rules, Wow! Momo issued a public statement on X. The company said the fire did not start at its unit but in a neighbouring premises.

In the statement, Wow! Momo also announced support for the families of three employees who died in the incident. It said it would give Rs 10,00,000 to each family, along with a "lifetime monthly salary to the bereaved and education for the child of the family."

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The fire only drew wide attention after posts about it went viral on X. One post crossed one million views and accused the company of showing the "face of capitalism." The user also claimed workers were trapped inside the warehouse "in fear of theft."