Police investigating the fire at the oxygen cylinder godown in Kankurgachi, which caused multiple blasts early on Thursday, have sought details from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the state fire and emergency services regarding the godown's licenses and permissions.

Officers of Maniktala police station said they were in the process of collecting evidence and documents.

“We have sought details from the KMC and the fire department. We are awaiting their response,” said a senior officer of the Maniktala police station.

Officials from the fire department stated on Friday that it had yet to be ascertained whether the godown’s documents were in place or not.

The owners of the godown were not arrested till Friday evening.

“The fire license is granted to such godowns only after physically checking that the articles stored in the godown are not combustible in nature. However, we have faced many situations where the godown owners deliberately empty their godowns of combustible articles during the inspection and stock them after the license is granted,” said an official of the fire and emergency services.

However, in this case, the department officials have yet to confirm whether the godown had the required license.

The cause of the fire and its origin were also yet to be ascertained till Friday evening.

Several oxygen cylinders stored inside the godown at Ghoshbagan Lane in Kankurgachi had exploded during a fire early on Thursday.

The cylinders shot up like missiles, with some of them landing on terraces of neighbouring buildings.

Fire department officials said apart from oxygen cylinders, at least six LPG cylinders were stored in the godown.

Most of these were scrap and were kept for reuse, the official said.

However, all these had the potential to cause a high-intensity blast, the official added.