The death toll in a massive fire that engulfed two adjoining warehouses in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal has risen to 19, with many reported missing, the state-run broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) said Wednesday.
The fire broke out in the wee hours of Monday inside one of the godowns, situated at Najirabad area of Anandapur in South 24 Parganas district, about 12 km south of Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal.
Local media reports said the death count is likely to go up as about 25 to 30 people were still missing.
Meanwhile, police have arrested the owner of the warehouse and produced him in a court of law, which sent him to an eight-day police remand.
As per AIR, authorities have ordered an investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire, and a forensic team has started collecting evidence from the site.
The local news outlet said several workers were believed to be sleeping inside at the time of the fire.
Fire department officials suspect that a short circuit might have triggered the fire.
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