Kolkata Police on Friday arrested Raja Chakraborty, manager, and Manoranjan Sheet, deputy manager of Wow! Momo, in connection with the massive fire that tore through two godowns in the Anandapur area of South 24 Parganas. The blaze has claimed the lives of at least 25 workers so far, making it one of the deadliest industrial fires in recent times.
The fire broke out around 3 am on Monday at a godown belonging to Pushpanjali Decorators and rapidly spread to an adjoining warehouse operated by Wow! Momo. Both structures reportedly housed highly inflammable materials, causing the flames to spread swiftly and leaving little chance for those inside to escape. Except for three employees who were present in the Wow! Momo unit, most of the victims were workers at the Pushpanjali godown. Many of them were migrant workers from neighbouring districts and were sleeping on the premises when the fire broke out.
Rescue and search operations are still underway, with authorities combing through the debris to trace missing workers. Official sources earlier said at least 21 workers were killed and 23 others were reported missing, though the death toll has since risen as more remains were recovered. Fire department officials said DNA samples will be collected from family members to identify charred bodies and skeletal remains found at the site.
The police have also arrested the owner of the warehouses on charges of causing death due to negligence. Investigators are probing the cause of the blaze and assessing the extent of damage, amid growing concerns over safety lapses at the facility. According to reports, both godowns were operating without mandatory fire safety clearances.
Wow! Momo, however, has denied that the fire originated from its warehouse. In a statement, the company said forensic and police investigations have validated that the blaze started in the adjacent decorators’ godown before spreading to its facility. The company said it operated a 12,000 sq ft rented warehouse at the location for storing packaging materials, beverages and other supplies, and claimed it was compliant with fire safety norms. A company spokesperson earlier stated that 28 fire extinguishers were installed at the Wow! Momo warehouse, while alleging that the neighbouring decorators’ godown lacked compliance.
The incident has reignited concerns over industrial safety, regulatory oversight and the living conditions of workers housed within factory premises, as investigations continue and families await answers.
