Seven feared dead, several missing in massive Kolkata warehouse fire

At least seven persons were feared dead, and several others remained missing after a massive fire broke out in a warehouse in the Anandpur area of Kolkata in the early hours of Monday (January 26, 2026). No official confirmation of casualties was issued by the administration till late evening.

The fire broke out around 3 a.m. at a warehouse at Nazirabad in Anandpur. As many as 12 fire engines were pressed into service, and firefighters battled the blaze throughout the day to bring it under control.

Several people were trapped inside a warehouse when the fire spread rapidly through the premises. Some of the victims reportedly made frantic phone calls to relatives, saying they were trapped and had no way to escape. By Monday evening, the firefighters claimed that they had located seven charred bodies inside the premises, though formal identification and official confirmation were awaited.

The warehouse houses several facilities. A warehouse of a popular food chain and another operated by a local decorator, both located within the same compound, were gutted. While three people were present inside the food chain’s warehouse, around 20 workers were inside the decorator firm’s facility when the fire engulfed the complex.

Most of those who were inside the warehouses remained untraceable. Relatives of the missing workers gathered outside the site throughout the day and later lodged missing complaints at the local police station.

West Bengal Minister for Fire and Emergency Services Sujit Bose said that the department has been monitoring the situation since morning. “We cannot say that there is no fire audit. But some people give more priority to business than to human lives. Why do so many people stay inside a warehouse at night?” the Minister said. He questioned why an industrial unit was operating in the East Kolkata Wetlands area.

West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said that the incident is a reflection of the fact that there is no government in the State.

The fire in Anandpur has revived memories of previous fatal blazes in the city, including the April 2025 fire at a hotel in Burrabazar that claimed 14 lives. Kolkata has witnessed several major fire incidents in recent years, most notably the 2011 fire at AMRI Hospital, in which over 90 people were killed.