PM Narendra Modi on Friday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to be given to the families of those killed in the warehouse fire in Anandapur. He also announced Rs 50,000 to those injured.
"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," wrote PM Modi on X.
He further said, "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"
Two Wow! Momo employees were arrested on Friday in connection with the warehouse fire with the real death toll still unclear.
Police sources confirmed that 21 people have died so far, with several others still missing.
The Narendrapur police detained the fast-food chain warehouse’s manager Raja Chakraborty and deputy manager Manoranjan Sheet for alleged negligence.
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Friday led a procession of hundreds of party supporters at Narendrapur near Kolkata, demanding the arrest of the food chain owners.
Adhikari alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) was shielding those responsible for the tragedy and showing insensitivity, claiming that chief minister Mamata Banerjee had not visited the site even five days after the incident, while rescue and search operations were still underway.
Adhikari alleged that the state was not taking action against the food chain owners because of their proximity to the top brass of the government and the TMC.
"Merely arresting the owner of a decorator firm and two junior officials of the food chain won't work. We want the immediate arrest of those at the helm of running the companies. We demand justice for their families who lost their loved ones," he said.
Adhikari also demanded the resignation of fire services minister Sujit Bose and the publication of the list of those missing after the fire.
"We will move the high court on Monday demanding the names and details of all those missing," he said.
Fire minister Sujit Bose and urban development and municipal affairs minister Firhad Hakim visited the site on Tuesday.
“Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has asked us to support the victims’ families. The state will provide Rs 10 lakh compensation to those issued a death certificate. The bodies recovered have been taken to the forensic lab, and DNA profiling will proceed once court permission is obtained,” Hakim said.
Adhikari also said the announcement of Rs 10 lakh compensation for the next of kin of the deceased was inadequate and demanded government jobs for one member of each affected family.
He alleged illegal construction of warehouses without adequate fire safety norms due to encroachment of waterbodies in the area.
"We also demand that all those responsible for landfilling the waterbodies be identified and brought under a thorough, impartial probe," Adhikari said.
Wow! Momo on Wednesday said it was “immersed with grief and pain” after the loss of two of its employees and a security guard.
Expressing condolences, the company said, “Our hearts, our minds and our prayers go out to the families of the deceased,” and asserted that it was committed to ensuring that “the families are taken care sufficiently for life.”
“Our promise is: a lump-sum compensation of Rs 10,00,000 per family, lifetime monthly salary paid every month to the bereaved, and education for children of the family,” the statement said.
The fire broke out around 3 am on January 26, at two adjacent warehouses in Anandapur - one belonging to a decorator and the other to a momo company.
The search for the missing continues, as families scour hospitals, police stations, and the fire site for information.
According to police, the decorators' warehouse was owned by Gangadhar Das. On Sunday night, several workers from various districts were present at the site, engaged in flower and decoration work. Many were asleep when the fire erupted.
The exact cause of the blaze remains unknown, and questions persist regarding the presence of fire safety measures.
The warehouses are located on the city’s east, in an area known for sprawling, ecologically sensitive East Kolkata Wetlands. Allegations have emerged that these structures are among hundreds that have sprung up on land once part of the Wetlands.
The owner of one warehouse, who runs a decorator agency, was detained in East Midnapore and brought to Baruipur for questioning on Tuesday afternoon.
Sources said Gangadhar Das was picked up near Khejuri. Das was formally arrested late on Tuesday night.
A formal complaint has been lodged by the fire and emergency services against the owners of the decorator agency and a fast-food chain that occupied the second godown.
The complaint was filed at Narendrapur police station, and an FIR has been drawn up. The police have also initiated a suo motu case against the two warehouse owners.