Kolkata: The death toll in the devastating warehouse fire in Anandapur on the southern outskirts of Kolkata has climbed to 23, while more than 25 people remain missing, IANS sources said on Thursday. Rescue teams continue to comb through the debris as investigations into the cause of the blaze move forward.

The massive fire broke out in the early hours of Monday, around 3 am, gutting a food factory and an adjacent decorator’s warehouse. The blaze took nearly two days to be brought under control, with 12 fire engines deployed at the site.

Where did the fire start?

According to preliminary findings submitted by the fire department and forensic teams, the fire did not originate at the Wow Momo factory, as initially claimed by the owner of the adjoining warehouse. Instead, investigators believe the blaze started on the third floor of the Pushpanjali decorator’s warehouse before spreading rapidly to nearby structures.

Gangadhar Das, the owner of the decorator’s warehouse, was arrested after the incident and had earlier alleged that the fire began in the momo factory. However, officials say the initial report contradicts that version.

The combined area of the warehouse and factory was around 35,000 square feet, of which the food processing unit occupied approximately 8,000 square feet, with the remaining space used for decoration materials.

What’s happening at the site now?

Search and recovery operations are ongoing as authorities remove collapsed metal structures using cranes and gas cutters. Rescue teams are also continuing to look for human remains amid the rubble.

Officials said forensic experts could return to the site if further examination is needed. Meanwhile, police investigations are underway based on the preliminary findings.