Anandapur warehouse fire: Two Wow! Momo employees arrested as political row intensifies

The Narendrapur Police arrested Wow! Momo warehouse manager Raja Chakraborty and deputy manager Manoranjan Sheet on charges of alleged negligence.

Earlier, Gangadhar Das, the owner of a warehouse adjacent to the Wow! Momo facility, was arrested in connection with the fire, which claimed multiple lives, though the exact death toll is yet to be officially confirmed.

The fire broke out in the early hours of January 26 at two warehouses in Nazirabad, off the EM Bypass.

The blaze is suspected to have originated at Das’ warehouse before spreading to the adjoining Wow! Momo warehouse, where several workers were allegedly locked inside.

The fire engulfed both structures, leaving bodies charred beyond recognition. Police have recovered 25 body parts from the gutted premises, while Wow! Momo has stated that three of the victims were its employees.

Opposition leaders and complaints have alleged that the warehouses lacked adequate fire safety measures and may have been operating without proper clearances, triggering criticism that the state government’s oversight was weak or ineffective. Critics, including BJP leaders, have also claimed that delays in the fire services’ response worsened the tragedy and led to avoidable loss of lives.

Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, led a massive protest rally in Anandapur, targeting the Mamata Banerjee government over the incident. He accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of ignoring the tragedy and not visiting the site.

“Mamata Banerjee’s residence is barely 10 kilometres from the spot, but she did not come. This government is not responsible towards Hindus,” Adhikari alleged.

He further claimed that the state government was shielding the owner of Wow! Momo, alleging that the entrepreneur had accompanied the Chief Minister on official foreign trips and had secured licences for multiple momo and biryani outlets in Kolkata illegally.

Demanding accountability, Adhikari called for the resignation of Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose, who has faced criticism over his department’s handling of the incident.

Responding to the allegations, Bose said, “The fire department responded befittingly. I do not feel the need to respond to everything the Opposition says.”