Death toll rises to 21 in Bengal fire; DNA tests underway

The police on Thursday recovered five more body parts, including partially burnt and skeletal remains, from the site of a massive fire near Kolkata, taking the total number of body exhibits to 21, a senior officer said.

According to him, out of the 21 body parts, 16 have already been sent for DNA testing. The police have received missing complaints for 27 people, of whom 21 are from Purba Medinipur district.

“We recovered five body parts from the charred remains of the gutted buildings today. So far, 21 body parts, including partially burnt and skeletal remains, have been recovered from the site. The total number of missing persons reports is 27,” Baruipur Police District Superintendent Shubhendra Kumar said when contacted.

Earlier, based on inputs from the local Narendrapur police stations, it was reported that 13 more bodies were found at the site, taking the death toll to 21, while 28 others are missing.

“We cannot say now the exact death toll, as what we have recovered are body parts, which may belong to a single or different individuals. This can be confirmed only after the DNA test reports,” a police officer said.

The devastating blaze, which broke out on the night of January 26, reduced two godowns and a momo manufacturing unit at Anandapur in South 24 Parganas district, on the outskirts of Kolkata, to ashes.

Of the remains recovered so far, one was a partially burnt body, while the rest were skeletal remains, making identification through conventional means difficult.

Blood samples of family members were collected at Baruipur Hospital on Wednesday to establish the identities of the deceased, in accordance with standard procedure. DNA profiling of the recovered bodies and body parts will be conducted next, the SP said.

“None of the bodies can be identified individually. We have to rely on DNA analysis. All the recovered parts have been sent for DNA mapping,” he added.

According to police sources, eyewitnesses have told investigators that a picnic had been organised at the decorator’s godown on the night of January 25, with at least 28 people present.

“After dinner, most of the workers went to sleep,” they said, adding that the fire broke out thereafter. “We are examining whether the blaze was triggered by a cigarette or similar combustible material,” the SP said.

The blaze reduced the warehouses and the manufacturing unit to rubble, leaving behind charred buildings and the bodies of workers.

Meanwhile, the fire services and forensic department have submitted a preliminary report to the police, stating that the blaze had originated not from the momo manufacturing unit, but from an adjoining godown of a decorator, a senior official said.

The report contradicts claims made earlier by the arrested owner of the decorators’ godown, Gangadhar Das, who had alleged that the fire first broke out in the momo factory.

“Based on the examination conducted so far, the fire originated on the third floor of the decorators’ godown and subsequently spread to other parts of the premises, including the momo manufacturing unit,” a senior police officer said, citing the joint report.

According to officials, forensic teams visited the spot soon after the incident and collected multiple samples to determine the cause and point of origin of the blaze.

“The fire spread rapidly from the decorators’ godown to the momo unit,” an official from the fire services said.

The report further noted that the decorators’ godown and the momo unit together spanned nearly 35,000 square feet, of which the momo factory occupied around 8,000 square feet.

The remaining area was allegedly being used by the decorator, officials said.

Police sources said that further forensic examination may be ordered if required.