Early morning fire guts decorator godown, spreads to Momo warehouse near Ruby's Urbana

A catastrophic fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday at a branded momo and cake warehouse located on Nazirabad Road, situated behind the Ruby Urbana complex in Kolkata. The blaze, which reportedly started around 3:00 am, engulfed the warehouse within minutes. As per reports, the flames first started in an adjacent decorator warehouse, which later engulfed the Momo warehouse, lighting up the midnight sky with towering flames.

The incident has taken a heart-wrenching turn with reports of a missing worker. Pankaj Haldar, one of the three employees on night duty, managed to make a final, desperate phone call to his wife as the fire closed in. "I won't survive," he reportedly told her before his mobile phone went dead. His family members, gripped by extreme anxiety and grief, have been waiting outside the charred remains of the factory for any news. While the other workers managed to escape, the fate of Haldar remains unknown as search operations continue.

The Fire Department responded with urgency, deploying 12 fire engines to the spot. Firefighters faced significant challenges in reaching the seat of the fire due to the thick black smoke and narrow lanes. After several hours of intense struggle, the blaze was largely brought under control, though cooling operations are expected to continue for most of the day. The entire momo factory has been reduced to a skeleton of twisted metal and ash, resulting in massive financial losses for the brand.