At least three people were killed, and around 20 others were reported missing after a fire broke out at two adjacent storage facilities in east Calcutta’s Anandapur in the wee hours of Monday.

The blaze in the godown, situated at Najirabad area under the Narendrapur police station limits in the outskirts of Kolkata, was brought under control after a seven-hour firefight, a senior police officer told PTI.

Three bodies were recovered from the site during a search operation conducted by the police and fire brigade personnel, he said.

Baruipur Police District SP Shubhendu Kumar said the identity of the deceased could not be ascertained as the bodies were charred beyond recognition.

It will be possible to determine whether more people were trapped and killed in the blaze only after the debris is completely cleared, he said.

According to reports, the fire broke out at one of the storage units reserved for food items sold by an online delivery company and soon spread to the adjoining one used for storing decorative items.

The family members of one of the employees, Pankaj Haldar, who is still missing, said he had called a little after 3am on Monday and cried for help.

“He said he was stuck inside the unit and there were others with him. The flames, he said, were spreading fast all over the place,” a family member said.

The firefighting operations have been on for over 10 hours.

The fire brigade is yet to confirm whether any of the employees in the storage unit are trapped inside and how long it could take to take them out.

State power minister Aroop Biswas visited the site at Anandapur while the firefighting efforts were on and spoke with the locals as well as the family members of those missing.

“The fire is under control now, but there is thick smoke inside. Unless the smoke is cleared, the firemen cannot enter. Efforts are on to find the people who are reported to be missing,” Aroop told the media.

Fire at a residential building in Mullick Bazar. Picture by: Soumyajit Dey

Earlier in the day, Power Minister Aroop Biswas, who visited the spot, told reporters that only after the thick smoke clears, it can be verified whether anyone was trapped inside.

"Demolition squad of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation have been brought in to break the walls to let the smoke out," he told PTI.

Twelve fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze, which was reported at 3 am, the official said. The blaze was brought under control around 10 am.

The cause of the blaze and the extent of damage are yet to be ascertained. The incident will be investigated, the officer said.