West Bengal

Kolkata: A devastating fire at a warehouse in Kolkata on the morning of January 26 has turned tragic, claiming 16 lives while 13 people remain missing. The incident occurred at a Wow! Momo warehouse located in the Anandapur area of the city. Investigations reveal that the warehouse was primarily used to store dry food items. The presence of highly flammable materials, including packaged dry foods and bottles of soft drinks, caused the fire to spread rapidly, engulfing the facility in minutes. Police sources reported that charred human remains are still present inside the warehouse, highlighting the scale of the destruction. Fire Outbreak and Rescue Operations The fire reportedly started around 3 AM on January 26, spreading quickly due to the combustible contents inside the warehou...

Kolkata: A devastating fire at the Wow! Momo warehouse in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, on January 26 has left the state in shock. Relief and identification operations are underway, but authorities fear the death toll could rise further. Officials say the fire was so intense that most of the bodies were completely charred, leaving only major bones and skulls. According to reports, police and rescue teams are now counting the remaining bones to estimate the number of victims. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined. Rescue teams continue to comb through the debris in search of more victims. Death Toll Rises to 21 Rescue operations recovered 13 more bodies, bringing the confirmed death toll to 21. Police stated that 28 people are still missing, raising concerns that the numb...

Kolkata: A tragic fire at a warehouse in Kolkata’s Anandpur area has claimed the lives of 16 people, while 13 others remain missing. The blaze broke out early on 26 January at a warehouse used by the popular quick-service food company Wow Momo. The warehouse stored packaged dry food items and bottles of soft drinks — highly flammable materials that caused the fire to spread rapidly. Police sources revealed that charred human remains were still present inside the building, underscoring the scale of the disaster. Emergency services have been placed on high alert as forensic teams work to identify the deceased and provide support to affected families. Timeline of the Incident The fire reportedly started around 3 AM on 26 January. Due to the large quantity of flammable goods stored in...

Kolkata: A new dispute has emerged between the West Bengal government and the Central government over the conduct of the upcoming national census. While the Government of India issued a notification on June 16, 2025, authorizing the census under the Census Act, 1948, the West Bengal government has not published the notification in its official gazette, even six months later, raising concerns about procedural compliance. The issue came to light during a recent conference of Chief Secretaries, state nodal officers, and census directors held in New Delhi, where central officials flagged the non-publication. According to the census schedule, house listing for the first phase is set to begin on April 1, 2026, while the second phase will commence on April 1, 2027. Under federal law, all state...

Kolkata: In a significant development amid heightened scrutiny of electoral processes, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has suspended an Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal after serious irregularities were detected during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. According to the Election Commission, Sumitra Pratima Pradhan, who was serving as the Block Development Officer (BDO) and AERO of Basirhat-II block, had illegally appointed four officials as Additional AEROs to hear objections and claims related to voter list discrepancies. These officials were never formally notified or authorised under Section 13C of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, making their appointments unlawful. Violation of Ele...