Our Bureau
New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep grief over the fire mishap in Kolkata’s Anandapur that broke out on Monday, offering condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, and announcing ex gratia compensation of ₹2 lakh to the Kin of the deceased, along with ₹50,000 to the injured.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister’s Office said an ex gratia compensation of ₹2 lakh from the PMNRF would be provided to the next of kin of each deceased, while those injured would receive ₹50,000.
In the X post, it stated that, “The recent fire mishap in Anandapur, West Bengal, is very tragic and saddening. My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that those injured recover at the earliest. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM @narendramodi.”
According to the Baruipur police police, three people have been arrested so far in connection with the Anandapur fire case. The rescue operation has been completed, the police officials added. A total of 21 samples have been sent for profiling, while reports of 27 people missing have been registered in connection with the incident.
The warehouse fire broke out in the early hours of Monday, prompting the launch of rescue and relief operations. Firefighting teams were rushed to the spot to contain the blaze, while police cordoned off the area to facilitate emergency response.
West Bengal LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari today led a BJP protest rally over the Anandapur fire incident.
Earlier on Thursday, BJP leader Amit Malviya alleged that Trinamool-sponsored Bangla Pakkho had claimed on social media that 50 people died in the warehouse fire.
Sharing an X post on Wednesday, Malviya wrote, “Trinamool-sponsored Bangla Pakkho claimed on social media that 50 people have died in the devastating fire in Anandapur.”
Calling for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, Malviya added, “Given the abysmal track record of her administration, it would be in the interest of justice to hand over the investigation to a Supreme Court-monitored SIT to thoroughly probe the tragic incident and fix accountability. She must also explain why her minister, Sujit Bose, failed to reach the accident site for nearly 32 hours. Such negligence is unacceptable.”
At least three people lost their lives in the incident, officials said.
Speaking from the site, Sinjini Sengupta, Block Development Officer (BDO), confirmed the recovery of bodies. “The fire brigade is still looking for them; the search operation is on. So far, three bodies have been found, and we are looking further,” she said.
Authorities said search operations are continuing to rule out the possibility of more people being trapped inside the building. Fire department officials are also examining the premises to determine the cause of the fire.
