Kolkata: The death toll in the Nazirabad godown fire tragedy rose to 25 as body parts of four more missing persons were recovered on Thursday. Sample collection by the forensic team remained stalled as the experts waited for the removal of debris and collapsed structures. Over 72 hours since the tragedy, cops have not been able to ascertain the cause of fire. The probe did not progress significantly, as much of it relied on the report to be submitted by the forensic experts, investigators said.According to cops, the forensic team faced challenges in collecting samples from the spot, and they will resume work once the godown premises are cleared of rubble and burnt debris. An officer said, “During the process of clearing the debris, body parts of four more persons tumbled out. Till Thursday, we got 27 missing complaints from the workers’ kin but there is no exact figure of how many went missing after the fire.““The collapsed structures are dangling precariously, and these are being razed now. Though a few samples were collected by the forensic team earlier, more samples are needed for the probe. Until the forensic tests are concluded and the report reaches us, we won’t be in a position to surge ahead with the probe,” an officer said.On a visit to the spot on Thursday, TOI found the entrance to the godown premises was barricaded and the KMC demolition squad was working inside. Till Wednesday, many people thronged the place to catch glimpses of the devastation caused by the fire. Twenty-four hours later, the vicinity of the burned godowns wore a deserted look, with restrictions imposed on assembly of more than five persons within a 100-m radius of the area under section 163 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.“The restriction on assembly at the spot was imposed to ensure that the evidence remains intact and no disturbance happens here,” said an officer. The police said collection of blood from the victims’ kin for DNA tests is going on, but no body was identified till the last reports came in.Meanwhile, some family members expressed anxiety and worry as the body parts of their kin are yet to be identified. Nayan Haldar, a college student and Baruipur resident, said, “My father, Basudeb, worked in the momo chain’s godown. I know I lost my father to the fire, but we can’t perform last rites until we get his body. I gave blood for DNA test at a hospital on Wednesday.”Sunil Hansda, whose brother Rabish died in the fire, said, “He called me and wept, saying he was in the jaws of death, with fire spreading to the godown, and that he was unable to escape. He told me to look after the family before we got disconnected. I don’t know how long it will take to hand over his body to us.”
