A devastating fire in Kolkata's Anandapur has left several dead, with 27 people reported missing. Police have arrested three individuals, while PM Modi has announced ex gratia compensation for the victims' families and the injured.
Police Investigation Underway
Police authorities are carrying out investigations following the devastating fire in Anandapur, which has left several dead and many unaccounted for. According to Baruipur Police, a total of 21 samples have been sent for profiling, while reports of 27 people missing have been registered in connection with the incident. Three people have been arrested in connection with the case, police said, as investigations continue.
PM Modi Announces Compensation
Meanwhile, 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 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."
Political Fallout and Protests
Earlier today, Leader of Opposition of West Bengal Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari lead BJP's protest rally on the Anandapur fire incident Adhikari said," BJP is raising the public's voice...Till now, the people who have died in the incident or are missing were Hindus; they are not Mamata Banerjee's vote bank..."
BJP Leaders Demand SIT Probe
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."
Details of the Fire
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.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)