Renowned food giant ‘Wow Momo’ has allegedly displayed extreme negligence. A factory had been built without the fire department’s permission in the marshy area of Nazirabad, a remote area near Anandapur on the bypass.

At least eight people have died and more than 12 others are missing in the fire that broke out at the storage units in Anandapur’s Nazirabad, near Kolkata, on the morning of January 26.

The authorities probably thought that they can continue with their business unchecked, hidden from administrative scrutiny. But when disaster strikes, it spares no one. The fire at the factory, which claimed eight lives and reduced the building to ashes, also exposed the ‘Wow Momo’ authorities’ negligent attitude.

The fire erupted in the early hours of Monday in a decorator’s storage unit and spread to the adjacent fast-food factory. Around 20-25 people were believed to have been inside the storage facility and the factory when the fire broke out, though it is not clear whether they were sleeping or working.

Bengal fire services minister Sujit Bose and director general of police (fire services) Ranvir Kumar reached the site on Tuesday, a day after the fire broke out and firefighters fought to bring the flames under control.

Almost two days after the incident which took place early on Monday, the factory supervisor appeared at the scene and was bombarded with questions from the media. He replied, “Nothing illegal was happening here.”

However, the Director General of West Bengal Fire Department has stated that the factory was operating without their permission. When quizzed on the same, the supervisor couldn’t answer that. Now the question is, who will answer the families of the eight lives sacrificed for the sake of huge profits and lack of safety?

How did the Anandapur fire incident take place?

Late Sunday night, workers at the ‘Wow Momo’ factory in Nazirabad felt the heat of the fire while they were asleep. In an instant, they were surrounded by flames and there was no escape route. The first door of the factory couldn’t be opened. As a result, eight people died of suffocation in the enclosed factory. However, it is being feared that the number might increase.

Even after almost two days, many more people are still trapped in the rubble. The number of missing persons has exceeded 15. By the time the fire department began extinguishing the fire, the factory and a small warehouse next to it had been engulfed in flames. The area had become a tinderbox due to a large amount of flammable materials. Till now, burnt debris is visible everywhere.

It has been learnt that the factory of the renowned fast food chain had three kitchens. The first one was not used for cooking; it was used for packaging. Cooking took place in the second and third kitchens. When the fire spread from the third kitchen late on Sunday night, everyone was asleep. They tried to get out through the main door after passing the first kitchen, but failed. The desperate pleas of the helpless workers to escape the fire turned into a cruel irony. As a result, charred bodies have been recovered from the factory, and the administration still does not know the exact number of people who are missing.

Anandapur fire: Who is responsible?

Families of some of the missing persons have lodged a complaint with the Baruipur police. The missing workers have been identified as Sujit Singh, Bimal Maity, Subrata Khara, Nantu Khara, Kartik Jana, Raju Manna, Soumitra Mandal, Buddhadeb Jana, Gurupada Sahoo,Krishnendu Dhara, Biswajit Sahoo, Anup Prasdhan, Basudeb Haldar and Pankaj Haldar.

‘Wow Momo’ is among the country’s largest food giants. Their business has been flourishing day by day. But is it all through dishonest means? The burnt-down factory of the company in Nazirabad has raised this question. The question now is who is responsible? Is it the responsibility of those who provided the jobs? Are the owners so engrossed in filling their own pockets with profits that they have no regard whatsoever for employee safety?

“More than 20 are reportedly missing in the horrific fire tragedy at Anandapur, with many yet to be identified. Most of the victims were very young and were sole bread earners of their families,” said Suvendu Adhikari, leader of Opposition in the Bengal Assembly.

“This is not a mere accident, it is the direct consequence of the Mamata Banerjee government’s chronic negligence, incompetence and utter failure in governance. Lack of administrative checks and balances and scrutiny, lead to disregard for rules and ultimately cause such loss of lives,” the BJP leader alleged.

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